Tribulations of love and magic
by Moonphase
Summary: Matsuda is a poor farmhand who falls in love with Princess Misa, but she is in love with Prince Light. After the disappearance of Light's sister, a series of shocking events take place, dragging in all the Death Note characters into a deadly conspiracy with dramatic results... AU, some slash, some hetero pairings love triangles and some deaths.
1. Simple Matsuda

**A.N- I apologise greatly for my long absence. I was a little premature in releasing this fiction before I had the story fully set. I have re-edited this chapter and added more information. So if you read this chapter before, please read it again in order to fully understand the story. **

**I have 'Matsuda' as his first name, simply because not many will recongise 'Touta' as being the bumbling character we know and love.**

**For those new to the story, this will feature a number of characters, including Misa, Mikami, Light and L in main roles.**

**Pairings- eventual Light/L, Misa/Light one sided, Misa/Matsuda one sided, Misa/Mikami one sided, Light/Takada one sided. **

**The story is set but pairings are not, so feel free to let me know who you would like to see get with who at any point.**

**Merry Christmas everyone!**

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Once upon a time there was a young farmhand called Matsuda. However, for reasons that should be obvious, everyone called him 'Simple Matsuda.'

Poor Matsuda!

He so badly wanted to be clever and dashing like the Princes at the local castle! Prince Light and Prince Mikami would ride down through the village on their large stallions; Light's was a chestnut brown and Mikami's was jet-black. They were magnificent beats, thundering down on pebbled pathways so hard that they seemed to shake the floor; they snorted smoke from their nostrils so that the people of the surrounding villagers, superstitious and gossipy as they were, would tell stories of how the two beasts had once been dragons and only the great Princes had the strength, charisma and intelligence to tame they monsters and charm them into being beasts of burden. All the townspeople would swoon and sigh at the majestic beauty of the Princes; tales of their heroic acts would entertain the villagers during the coldest winter evenings.

(The Princes also had a younger sister, but she was slightly plainer than they were, and did nothing of interest, so no one spoke or remembered her.)

The most heroic thing Matsuda had ever done was chased off a spider that frightened his mother. Even ordinary, daily tasks seemed to cause Matsuda trouble. He always spilt the milk, no matter how carefully he tried to milk Sunflower (their cow) and carried the bucket. Whenever he went to collect the eggs he would send the hens into a nervous panic, he often would get attacked by Daddy Rooster, and often would step on at least four eggs. He would accidentally make the horses stampede, pull out herbs and carrots instead of weeds, fall asleep in the fields instead of chasing away crows and once managed to drug all the occupants at the farmhouse by selecting hallucinatory mushrooms instead of the regular ones. Matsuda would barely make it through the day without getting a sound beating or a box around the ears by at least one exasperated person. And it seemed only to serve to make him even more stupid.

However, despite this flaw, Matsuda was kind and good hearted. He always managed to stay in some kind of work, because no one had the heart to leave him jobless and destitute. And Matsuda himself was a pretty happy man; as long as he had food, drink, a warm place to sleep and good friends, he was satisfied with his life.

However, one day, that all changed.

The princes Light and Mikami had gotten to the marrying age. They sent out invitations to all the beautiful women and princesses around the known world. The villagers came out of the shops, and fields and houses to watch the display of gorgeous females upon their horses and in their lavish carriages as they passed by towards the castle. One young woman in particular caught Matsuda's eye.

Her hair was silken gold locks; her eyes a large, sapphire blue that always looked like they were laughing, each lip was a pink rose bud, her hands were small and dainty, her body was slender and lithe. Such fair features were rare in the region of Matsuda's home. Their Kingdom was full of dark skinned brunettes. Their bodies tended to be larger and more muscular, due to the good food that their bit of Earth offered up. Besides, winters were harsh, so to be of a stocky build was wise for survival; delicate creatures died. Even their royalty was not particularly genteel or fragile. The people of this Kingdom had two ways of dealing with those who were different; they either feared or hated them (such as the wild northern tribes of the ice lands) or they were loved and fantasised over. Matsuda felt his heart thundering in his chest so hard it hurt; who was this beautiful creature? And surely, surely, this feeling he had...surely it was TRUE LOVE?

From when he was young lad he had dreamed of having a beautiful girl like that fall in love with him! He had wished for it as fervently as he had wished he was a prince- dashing, inherently good, inherently brave and beautiful.

However, as soon as the feeling of joy had arrived, it quickly dissipated into a harsh reality. Matsuda was nothing but a simple farmhand. Even worse he was a simpleton! He wasn't even a good farmhand! He could not compete with the likes of Prince Mikami or Prince Light! And so with a heavy sigh, Matsuda walked away from the parades and cheering crowds; he was a simpleton, a lonely fool, and there was nothing he could do to change that...

xxXXxx

Meanwhile, in the Castle, much merrymaking was carrying on. In the great hall sat the Princes with their sister and father, surrounded by tables filled with hopeful women. In the centre of the hall, various acts were coming forward and entertaining the crowd of fops and posh toffs and royalty.

"I still do not think this is a good idea," said L tonelessly.

"Nonsense!" returned his Uncle Watari, the self titled Great Wizard of Fortune, "they have to be warned!"

Both men were dressed in shabby clothing, Uncle Watari's being a faded and ripped wizards robes and L's being a pair of trousers which were too short, a short sleeved top that had once been white, and several twigs and leaves meshed into his hair.

"I don't like cities and towns and crowds," he continued to whine to his uncle's frustration.

"You are too spoiled and self centred, we have to do this, it's our duty as citizens. All the faeries are waking up, think about it, faeries waking up, at the start of winter? It makes no sense. And then with the movements of the trolls underground and the season not changing as it should, everything is wrong. We need to tell them of the dreams, of the strangeness."

They had already managed to sneak into the castle thanks to his uncle's hypnotising spell. Inside they waited in the corridor with the other acts.

The host of the celebrations stepped into the hallway to announce the next act. "Alright," he ordered, "we need the juggling trio next."

"That's us!" called Watari, dragging his nephew with him into the great Hall before anyone could stop them.

The toffs and fops gasped as the odd pair stumbled into the centre arena.

Uncle Watari grinned and raised his arms gracefully as if to say 'we meant to do that!'

"Aren't these guys meant to be a trio of jugglers?" whispered Mikami to Light, but Light was too busy scowling at the disgusting mess which was L, how could anyone be caught in public looking like _that_? It was insufferable!

While Prince Light sat in silent rage at L's unkempt aesthetic, the said scruff bag began a shuffling dance while Watari began to cry out, "Oh King, you must hear our word, we come from the Wild Woods, the Haunted Forest of the Witch!" People gasped and recoiled back from L and Watari. "We come with grave news," Uncle Watari continued, "there have been signs in the woods and strange dreams plaguing the ones of us who are closely aligned to the spirit world. Calamity is at hand, this beautiful and calm kingdom is hurtling towards doom!"

As people began to panic and cry out, the King stood defiantly.

"Enough of this!" he commanded the old wizard. L stopped his odd dance. "I will not have you frightening my people nor my guests," he gestured at the various ladies who came to woo the Princes. "How _dare_ you come here and cause a spectacle!"

"But the seers and witches..." started Watari only to be interrupted.

"I have long ceased to be taken in by foolish superstition." Light smiled up at his father, feeling proud that his dad was one of the few that stood up against the tyranny of the witches, who often terrified the people and bullied them into doing their will.

"It isn't a lie," said a soft voice. Everyone looked at L, his face as devoid of emotion as a sheet of ice. "We are not joking, we are not tricking you. Our warning is genuine. The disaster that awaits this Kingdom involves our kind as well. We will benefit from having it prevented. You must send all the foreign Princesses home," there were cries of offended outrage, but L continued regardless, "and your sons and daughter need to be kept indoors and away from windows at all times until the spring returns."

"Are you _serious_?" yelled Mikami, leaping to his feet, "we cannot stay indoors for that long. Spring isn't going to arrive for another three months!"

"I am being deadly serious," L fixed a dead, dark-eyed stare on Mikami, making him shrink back down into his chair. "If you go against us, it will be at your own peril. Do not say we didn't warn you."

At this, Watari grabbed a ball out of his cloak and dashed it onto the floor, making it explode dramatically. Billowing purple smoke with an acrid smell covered the two men, and by the time it cleared the two men had vanished.

There was a moment of silence before a few giggles broke out, partially from nerves and partially from relief.

"Please," the King Soichiro stood once more, "ignore the ramblings of a madman and his demon offspring, it was all nonsense. Princesses, feel free to stay as long as you wish. Our Kingdom is on good terms with everyone except the witches, they simply want to disrupt our good humour. On with the celebration!"

Everyone cheered and the festivities continued without further disruption late into the night.

xxXXxx

While the rich partied and feasted, lying on hay in a draughty barn, the young farm hand tossed and turned in restless angst. Try as he might, Matsuda just could not get the beautiful girl out of his mind. She was so alluring, her beautiful blue eyes an rosebud lips haunted his dreams, made him feel...strange...it was like no other feeling he had had before..

_"I have to get to know her!"_ He declared to himself. _"I know I'm not smart, or good looking, or dashing but I am determined. Tomorrow I shall go to the castle and see if I can get a job there, all to get closer to her."_

With this promise in mind, Matsuda finally turned to his side and fell into the restful sleep of the innocent.

xxXXxx

At the same time, back in the Castle and away from the celebration, a young forgettable Princess named Sayu looked out into the night sky. Unlike Matsuda she was not at ease. She was bored and restless. She wished she had been born a boy because then she could leave the Castle like her brothers, and go play and hunt and fish with all the other men. But instead Fate had been cruel and made her a female, so she was stuck in the house, day by day, learning to darn and sew and knit and to take care of infants. And worst of all this was to be her life; constantly looking after the needs and comforts of somebody else, be it a husband or a child. She had watched as the various daughters of Lords and Ladies paraded around for her brothers, each female desperate for their attention and approval.

Sayu witnessed it all with cool disdain and inner dread. That would be her in just a few short years. Who would she parade in front of? a Prince of a foreign land, all of whom were rumoured to be wild, insane, power hungry and cruel? one of the local Lords who were all silly ninnies, giggling with high pitched sequel and having affairs with their milkmaids? Would she be as desperate, as needy as these girls, painted in rogue, smeared red lipstick that was also stuck on the teeth, blue eye shadow and a heavy head of made up curls? What if the Prince rejected her, and picked someone prettier; could she handle the shame of being sent back home, unwanted and useless; doomed to be an old maid? Worse still, what if he _accepted_ her?

As the giant moon lit up the rolling hills and distant woodland, Princess Sayu turned to slightly happier thoughts and wondered what adventures lay out there, if only she were brave enough to stretch out her hand and grab the opportunity.

Biting the bottom of her lip she cautiously opened up her large, glass pane, French windows. _"Do you dare?"_ the wind whispered to her, its surrisus weaving through the grass stalks and the trees into their branches, _"do you dare?"_

"_I do_," the Princess whispered in response and, as if in a dream, climbed out of her window, down the vines and out of the Castles confinements.

The last anyone saw of the Princess was a young girl, the daughter of the candlestick maker, who, when peeking, out of her bedroom window instead of sleeping, saw a female figure in a white dress run across the field into the pale caress of the milky moonlight. The little girl gasped, closed the curtains and pulled the blankets over her.

Surely, she had just seen a ghost!

Surely, she had just seen a dead girl.


	2. The Princess is missing

**A.N- again, I have re-edited this chapter and added more information. So if you read this chapter before, please read it again in order to fully understand the story. **

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A dark orange sun peeped over a few pink clouds and warmed the earth below. The region began stirring; the sheep and lambs hippoty-hoppyting over green fields; the cows licked at the dew drops on the grass; farmers wives were busy baking loaves of bread to stave off hunger throughout the day.

Matsuda climbed down from his bed of straw and made himself presentable, brushing his wild locks with rough fingers and scrubbing his face bright and pink with a bucket of cold water left outside of the barn. After that he left his small, inconsequential village, where the paths were made of mud, and made his way up into town. He had decided to gather some information before finding a new job, one that would bring him closer to his Princess, and where better to get information than from the gossip mongers of the town centre?

The town was large and rich compared to the villages (though nothing much to those who had travelled the world, Matsuda had never known anything other than this town, and so to him it was grandeur itself.) The roads were cobbled and rich merchants from the seas had settled in this provincial town and set up shops selling exotic teas and herbs and pottery.

It was six O'clock in the morning, yet the town was a bustling metropolis of noise and excitement a rich and poor gathered together in town squares and taverns and park benches to gossip and giggle and judge the foreign Princesses competing for Light and Mikami's affections.

"Several of the girls already gave up hope and have gone back home," the baker told the fishmonger, (Matsuda was one of the people standing to the side shamelessly listening in.) The baker ignored them but spoke loudly enough for them all to hear. "My Wilhelm saw many carriages leave late last night," she continued proudly. Matsuda grimaced slightly, Wilhelm was her sneaky, creepy son, and he knew just about everything that happened to everyone. Wilhelm often got Matsuda in trouble because he saw all the things he did wrong.

"But why?" queried the fishmonger, waving around a fresh, dead cod in agitation, "are the Princes that particular?"There were a few wry chuckles at that. It was no secret that the pair, whilst well liked and admired, were quite vain. Matsuda, like everyone else in their region, thought the Princes arrogance was justified, they were pretty amazing guys.

"I heard it's because the competition between the ladies is so tough!" The baker continued, waving the rolling pin in her hand around in the same manner that the fishmonger so recklessly flung about the unfortunate dead fish. "There are so many beauties all vying for the prize that the average girl does not stand a chance. All the average ones must have been the ones who went home. What chance does a normal girl have with a Prince like Light or Mikami?"

"There's only one beauty I saw," chipped in Matsuda unable to help himself, "that girl with the straw coloured hair and stars for eyes!"

The crowd cooed in agreement. Several of the females looked suddenly in awe, as if recalling a fantastic glowing vision and several of the men, including Matsuda stared dreamily into space, as if they had caught a glimpse of an angel up in the heavens.

"I hear she is called Lady Misa," said the butcher's boy to no one in particular. He was still gazing upwards, as were many of the others. To an outsider they would have looked like a large gathering of fools. "She comes from a land where the swans are black with red eyes and it never rains during the day. She is said to have the voice of an angel as well as the appearance of a goddess. She has the innocence of a child and the loyalty of a sheepdog. She is also," he blushed and looked downwards in uncharacteristic modesty, "a virgin, sworn to give herself only to one who truly deserves her."

They all gaped and there was a unified in-take of wonder, she sounded impressive!

"She'd make a great Princess!" Cried the baker and everyone cheered. The crowd were made up those easily pleased and easily fooled; such is the nature of people with an easy and comfortable life filled with ignorance and credulity.

Matsuda stood alone in the crowd, for the first time alone. In this moment he was not like them; he didn't want the girl of his dreams to be a Princess, he wanted her as a wife.

"_Oh I'm so stupid!"_ He chastised himself. _"Of course she'll marry a Prince! Why am I so naive? But then...but then, is there still hope in trying? Just trying?"_ In all the stories he heard about people like himself; the underdog, the fool that no one would think could make it, in the end that person always made it, just because they tried hard enough. "_Even if things like that don't happen in real life,"_ he thought, "_I would still rather sit down and know that I tried rather than die never knowing what could have been."_

He took in a deep breath, and continued out of the marketplace and towards the Castle.

xxXXxx

Mogi and Ukita, the guards at the Castle gate looked at one another, back down at a hopeful looking Matsuda, back to one another and then burst out laughing. Matsuda's wide eyed, hopeful smile diminished slightly, before he joined in with them a little chuckle turning into out right, atrociously loud laughter. Ukita cuffed him round the head to shut him up.

"You can't be one of us," he said, all mirth and good humour evaporated.

"Why-why not!"

"Because," sighed Mogi, whose calm and sensible demeanour had made him Head of the guards, "you're not sensible enough. Oh come on don't look at me like that Matsuda, you know it's true!"

"But I can learn!" The farm-hand cried. "Please, guys, I can be brave and noble, just give me a cause and I will do those things! Please, I just need a chance!"

The guardsmen were resolute however much he pleaded. They would not risk their reputations on suggesting him for guard duty, though it was true that in their peaceful kingdom, their jobs weren't exactly strenuous.

Matsuda was distraught. It hadn't been until he was nearly at the Castle that he realised that the best kind of job would be a guard. You didn't need to be of any noble birth to become a member, and he was certain he could handle the training, it was probably all rough housing and getting messy, which Matsuda wasn't too bad with. Also, such a job would give him ample opportunity to show off his heroic nature (well assuming he had some hidden inside him somewhere.) But it seemed his plan was already failing. Well fine then! He could improvise and change.

"Well any job then?" He gasped. "What about in the kitchens? As a servant? Anything?"

"NO, Matsuda!" yelled Mogi, finally losing his patience, and Mogi was a very patient man. "NO! You cannot work in the castle. Only very capable people can serve the royal family. You know this! Come on Matsuda, what's gotten into you?"

Matsuda's eyes welled up and he dropped to his knees in misery. To have his dream crushed this early, it was heartbreaking and pathetic all at once...

"**_Love_**." He answered Mogi in a fraught whisper, before starting to sob.

The two men looked at each other in confusion (and partial amusement) but before any more could be said there was a loud, distraught cry from the castle.

The two guards ran into the courtyards and, in their panic, failed to notice that Matsuda had followed.

A strikingly handsome pale brunette woman in a pale blue, housemaids outfit was standing in the middle of the courtyard. Her eyes were wide with panic, her hand clutching her fair hair which stood in a messy bob. Matsuda had the impression it didn't look that messy before whatever distressing thing had happened to her. All around her stood various servants, all looking alarmed but offering her no help or comfort. Matsuda did not know it was because this woman was usually the calmest and collected of people.

"Miss Halle!" Called Ukita, "what's wrong? What has happened?"

The men ran up to her and she faced them with tears in her eyes. "It's my charge, she's gone!" Her voice had a slight accent, Matsuda recognised it as belonging to someone of their neighbouring country.

"Princess Sayu," gasped Ukita. "How can she be gone?"

"I went to her room this morn, but she wasn't there. That isn't so unusual, she's always trying to hide so she won't have to do her classes," Halle put her hand to her head, looking distraught, "but I've looked everywhere, _everywher_e! I don't know what to do." She looked at Ukita with pleading eyes, "I have never, ever lost a Charge of mine before. I can't believe I've failed, no doubt I shall receive all the blame, and I am very frightened for her, what if she is captured by the hoards that roam the boarders? What of all the wild beasts and demons of the forests? What of the bogs and witches in the marshes?"

Ukita looked grave. The entire atmosphere of the courtyards was tense.

"Princess Sayu would never run off alone, she isn't like that. She has never been particularly reckless before, and while she can be mischievous and defiant she certainly isn't cruel enough to put you through something like this." Ukita turned to Mogi, as if waiting for the man to verify his comments. After a moment's pause of contemplation Mogi nodded in agreement. Ukita turned back to Halle satisfied. "Was there anything unusual at all about Sayu's behaviour or her room when you went in this morning?"

Halle became still, thinking, "yes," she responded slowly, "the window was open. Sayu is usually quite chill especially with the approach of winter, and prefers the warm indoors. An open window was unusual." Her eyes widened, "could someone of taken her?"

There was a muted gasp around the courtyard. Several servants suddenly ran off, some to tell the King and Queen, other's to spread the gossip all over the province.

"We will send out a search party and tear the countryside apart until we find her." Ukita declared loudly, authority heavy in his tone. He turned to Matsuda. "You want a job? Well, you have one. You are now a new member of the Guard. We need as many men out looking for our Princess as possible."

Matsuda, with a stab of guilt, felt elation rise in his stomach. Now was his time to shine! Sending a brief and silent prayer to the goddess, he ran to get a uniform and change.

xxXXxx

"Your Majesty."

King Soichiro was in one of the royal gardens, tending to his favourite rose bush when he heard Ukita behind him. The King turned and smiled, enquiring the young gentleman as to what he wanted.

The young guard shuffled uncomfortably, before resolving himself and answering, "your Majesty, there seems to be a problem. Princess Sayu cannot be located anywhere on the Castle grounds."

Soichiro tried to quell the sudden sped up beating of his heart. "Well I'm sure all is well," he said, standing up right, "maybe she has gone out of the grounds to meet friends. Where are my sons, have they been asked for her whereabouts?"

"They are being asked right now, my Lord."

Inside the castle the two Princes sat side by side, Light reading and Mikami writing.

"Should we invite Princess Misa?" asked Mikami. There was a pregnant pause as Light slowly turned the page of his book.

"No," he answered at length, Mikami tightening his lips in response, "I dislike her. I do not understand your infatuation with her."

"But she is a loyal follower of our goddess Eostre!" responded Mikami with feeling.

Light rolled his eyes.

"I know you are...disbelieving in our goddess," continued the darker haired brother, his distaste for his brother's atheism evident, "but the goddess is real and is good. Any woman who is as devoted as I is someone I cannot help but respect-"

"You could do a lot better."

"I think she is good enough," Mikami paused before adding, "besides she is very fond of you. Whenever she is with me she only asks for you. That is a good sign of her taste, right?"

Light didn't bother telling Mikami that when Misa was with _him_, she never asked for Mikami. "We should wait longer." He said instead. "Misa is a sycophant; she may be lying just to get your love and devotion."

Mikami sighed quietly but nodded, "I shall follow your advice," he muttered, "_as always_."

There was a polite knock on the door.

"Enter."

The boys both raised an eyebrow as Mogi came in, looking slightly disturbed, "Sirs," the Head Guard began, "have either of you seen Princess Sayu?"

"No." responded one.

"Why?" asked the other.

"She is missing."

Light and Mikami immediately stood, their sister rarely left the castle grounds, and when she did everyone knew where she was gong and she always had company.

"The last we saw of her she was going to her bedroom," said Light walking up to where the Princesses room was. "So any clues to her departure will be there."

In the hallway he ran into his father.

"Have you seen Sayu?" began Soichiro, "we are worried about where she may be."

"I haven't seen her since last night," Light gripped his father's shoulder as Mikami ran past shouting, "we're checking her room father, don't worry too much just yet! She may just be hiding, playing a prank on us, silly girl!"

"Good," responded the King, ignoring Mikami's last words and instead allowing his sons urgency to stir his own need for action, "Mogi, go get Sayu's nanny for me. Then I want as many men rounded up as possible, we'll need to set out a search party early."

Mogi saluted and hurried away.

Meanwhile, in Sayu's bedroom, Light slowly stalked around the room. There was no note saying she would be gone and no sign of forced entry, though that did not surprise Light as he very much doubted that anyone would be able to sneak into the castle and steal a person undetected.

He walked over to the open windows and looked down. Sayu's bedroom was the fourth floor up, and the drop was steep. There was no plants that she could have used to get down, and he didn't see any evidence of her using bed sheets tied together to get down either.

She would have had to have flown out the window in order to land safely.

_"But how else did she leave?"_ He wondered. The castle had been busy the night before, there was no way a Princess could have just wandered out, and even if she had, that made no sense, Sayu had no reason to do such a thing.

"Light," the prince turned to see his father standing in the hallway, "what do you see?"

"Sayu must have been helped to leave or kidnapped," Light responded without emotion, "it is highly unlikely that she was snuck out, because of how busy we were and because of the increased security. If she jumped from the window, something must have caught her. Sayu did not have any friends outside of royalty, and no one she knew lives outside of the castle grounds. So she must have been taken, and as proven by the antics of that elderly fool and his jigging sidekick yesterday, the only people that could have taken her are the witch people of the woods, they have been the only people capable of sneaking into castle grounds."

Soichiro nodded, looking stern, "I am setting up the Royal Guard as we speak. Sayu's nanny confirms that Sayu had no reason to run away. I will send a few men out into the villages, but the majority will be focused on the woods."

Light smiled warmly, the first time his face had shown any sort of emotion since he started looking around his sister's room, "I'm sure we will get Sayu back shortly," he said, "just wait dad, we will have her back by supper."

* * *

**AN. Does anyone reading this know how to work Live Journal? I've been wanting to put my fics up there for ages, but aside from making the account I just can't work out how to do anything else (i.e. up load work onto different groups pages etc). It's all scary and complex **

**Question:**

**What do you think might have happened to Sayu?**

**What do you all think of my portrayal of Mikami? It's my first time writing him, and I find him an odd character to write for (strangely sympathetic towards him but I also don't like him that much.)**


	3. Being a guard

**I always need a beta, so if anyone can beta this, please contact me. **

**Thanks all, and happy holidays!**

* * *

The uniform they had given Matsuda was far too big; he felt stupid walking down grand halls of the royal family with baggy trousers held up by a tightly pulled belt and his sleeves falling over his hands.

"You just need to stand outside while I receive my instructions from the King," murmured Mogi who was marching alongside him.

Matsuda nodded, making his helmet fall over his eyes. Mogi sighed but ignored the young fool's antics.

They stopped outside of polished oak double doors; various patterns engraved with gold were carved upon them. Matsuda looked in wonder as Mogi knocked loudly and was allowed in.

Matsuda stayed where he was stood but had a quick sneaky look into the room. The Queen was sitting down and looking distressed, the King was pacing and to his side stood a mysterious and handsome lady with dark brown hair.

Mogi shut the double doors.

Matsuda stood still for a moment, before becoming bored and looking around the hallway. "Wow," he whispered, in awe that people could live in such luxury. The floors were covered in a rich, red carpet. Across the walls was finery; beautiful paintings of the royal family and their ancestors, a row of metal armoured suits, beautiful pattered wallpaper which matched the carpet and they, like the double doors to the Kings room, were covered in intricate patterns influenced by nature. He looked closely at the border which was on the mid section of the wall, it was a pale green colour and in it were silver lines that looked like vines and flowers. He looked closer still and saw that faces of elves and fairies had been lightly added in.

He focused in, feeling entranced, as if falling into that world of green and silver and swirls...

"What are you doing?" A high pitched voice squeaked out indignantly causing Matsuda to jump and in turn knock the armoured suits either side of him. He flinched as each one toppled noisily to the ground.

He turned to see none other than the beautiful blonde princess Misa.

He immediately felt himself blushing.

He laughed in a strange and broken manner and far too loudly, making the princess delicately raise an eyebrow. He stopped almost as soon as he started.

"You are a guard, yes?" she asked, her accent slightly strange and childlike.

"Umm...yes your majesty, erm, Princess..." he scratched the back of his head, his heart pounding and still feeling extremely nervous.

She tossed her head impetuously, "have you seen Prince Light? I wish to speak to him."

"S-sorry no...I have only started this job today."

She let out a small smile, "well good luck," she responded friendly enough, "you are doing a good job so far."

At the point that she left, Mogi stepped back outside to see Matsuda grinning like a fool and an entire row of metal uniforms on the floor, damaged and dented. He took in a deep breath attempting to sooth his already growing frustration and grabbed Matsuda by the arm, pulling him down the hallway. "C'mon you idiot," he griped like the old man he was, "we've got a Princess to find."

xxXXxx

The guards were divided into groups and sent out into the various villages. Matsuda was loaded on to his own horse, a great black steed, the type that only guards rode.

The old farmhand felt silly on the horse, it felt too grand to have him riding upon it and his uniform was too big and he clearly had no idea what he was doing or even really what the situation was. But still, doing this had gotten him to the princess. Never would he have had a chance to talk to her had he had stayed a farmhand.

_"I just need to get better,"_ he resolved to himself, _"I need to prove myself and make a name. Maybe, if the Princes do not want her and she does not want them, maybe I can have a chance with her. Maybe...maybe...even if the princes do want, maybe, if I prove myself, she will choose me instead."_ He gulped, feeling treacherous for having such thoughts, but he would not allow himself to chastise his own thoughts. There was nothing wrong with a little ambition, and by goddess, this was the first time he had ever really had any.

Plus, the Princess Sayu was missing, he could help find her and perhaps even become a hero.

He smiled. "_Imagine that, me, a hero? The villagers wouldn't know what to do with themselves! They'd all be talking about me in the town square. They won't be telling me off or laughing at me then, they'll think I'm a worthy person."_

With those thoughts, he made himself sit up and he took a firm grasp on the reigns.

_"I can do this,"_ he promised himself, "_and I will do this...help me goddess!"_

xxXXxx

The guards started at the villages closest to the castle, putting up posters asking if anyone had any information and asking people to their faces in the local town centres.

No one had seen anything.

The day dragged on, getting later and later. The horses were soon panting, and Matsuda and the others had sore behinds from riding for so long.

Ukita, under duress from the rest of the group walked up to Mogi, "sir," he began, "can we stop now? Maybe go back to the castle, no one has seen anything. Maybe the Princess is back at the castle, maybe she was just...I don't know...maybe she had just gone off on her own but now is safe."

Mogi turned and faced Ukita and the men behind him her were sitting quietly but listening in.

"Men," the captain began, "the Princess never went off on her own. Do you have any idea how bad this is? A Princess is missing, taken from our own castle. If we go back now, with no Princess, we shall be shamed. It is humiliating enough that she went missing on a night that we were all in he castle, can you really ask me to return, after searching one day, without even a clue of her whereabouts?" the men looked upon the floor and Matsuda frowned slightly, beginning the feel the pressure of having a job that mattered so much.

"Plus," continued their leader, "if the princess was home I would have received word from the castle via an eagle or pigeon carrier. I have received nothing. The Princess is gone and there is one area we have not explored." He paused, and Matsuda looked around to see many of the men were tense, or even had their eyes closed in resignation, "the forests," concluded Mogi, "the Princess is somewhere in the wilderness, it's the only explanation."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"We camp here tonight," he commanded, "and tomorrow we start heading to the edges of our Kingdom. Get sleep because it will be dangerous out there."

He turned and walked away a little out of sight and the men slowly began to set up camp.

Matsuda gulped. He never thought that on his second day he would be doomed into going into the forests!

xxXXxx

That night the men sat around a camp fire. Matsuda had struggled the longest to put up his tent. At first the other guards had laughed at him but after a long time it became increasingly embarrassing for them to see and simply a painful experience for everyone involved. In the end one of the guards, a man called Aiber had taken pity on him and helped him with his tent.

They sat side by side as the evening took over and bought the cold with it.

"I hate winter," one man called Higuchi was complaining, "I hate the darkness sand the cold. It brings out all the wolves and witches."

"Shhh!" replied Ide hysterically, "they'll hear you! We shouldn't talk about them out here, its bad luck!"

"It's not winter yet," responded Aiber somewhat disdainfully, "its autumn. The goddess is still watching over us and giving us some good fortune. Our meal tonight is evidence of that."

Indeed, the men had been lucky with food. They had caught a few rabbits and hedgehogs, which were cooking nicely, not to mention the many berries and leaves that autumn bestowed upon them.

"We should be safe still," he continued, "we must find our princess quickly and get home before the evil spirits waken fully and the goddess falls to her winter sleep." He looked at each of them mischievously before settling on his new friend Matsuda, "do you know any stories of the forests? We have many, want to hear some? Why are you shaking your head like that? These stories may prepare you and save your life later!"

"They're all just stupid fairytales and lies," scoffed Aizawa.

"No they aren't," bit back a young guard with floppy brown hair called Mido, "I have a story for you, and it's true, I swear.

"A few years ago, during a particularly dark winter, before I became a member of the guard-"

"Of course it was before you became a member of the guard," interrupted Higuchi, "a few years ago you were only twelve!"

Mido ignored the heckling and carried on, "I had a neighbour who had many children. They struggled greatly during the winter months. And sometimes they were cruel to their children as a result, especially the father, who was partial to drinking too much and using his fists on anyone, even women and children. One evening they didn't have enough food for everyone. This wasn't a rare occasion, and the smallest and weakest children went without. Finally, one evening, their youngest daughter crept out of the house. It was dark and she knew the dangers, but she went out anyway. She was just so hungry and desperate she would do anything. She went in to the woods, undoubtedly looking for some bark to chew upon.

"I saw her that night, sneaking away, her red cap glinting like blood in the darkness. I will always feel guilty, I should have invited her into our home, given her food, but the families in our village were proud and no one wanted charity, not even this family. But still, I wish I hadn't worried about their pride and had been more concerned about her safety.

"The next morning came, and she was still missing, they found her footsteps in the snow and had followed them out into the woods, but the trail suddenly stopped. It was as if she had lifted off into the air.

"After that, we could hear strange screams from the woods. We even saw the occasional flash of red dashing through the woods.

"They say that the faeries took her and made her one of their own; a crazed wild thing of the woods. Her family were terrified. Then, as the winter went on their children began to die, one by one.

"Finally, the father, drunk as a lord and raving from his paranoia wandered into the woods, shooting his gun and threatening the faeries. We all hid. My mother put out a bowl of sugar, hoping to appease the faeries. We were terrified because we lived next door to the offending family, what if we were implicated in their crimes against the forest creatures?

"Anyway, there was a mighty scream, we could hear the father, crying out for help, but none of us moved, none of us left our homes. You may think we were cowards, and maybe we were, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to run out there and take on whatever supernatural being was torturing him.

"The following morning we saw the snow was stained with blood, and on top of it was a red cap, just like the girl used to wear." Mido sat back, "it was the fairy folk," he concluded, "they did it. They're wild, and brutal, made up of the lost and bitter spirits of children and the abused. We do well not to anger them or take them lightly."

Matsuda felt himself shiver. The story was...was awful.

"Nonsense," barked Higuchi, breaking the tension and calling all the attention to himself, "I've heard a story just like that before. It's one of those stupid myths that goes around and goes around."

Mido crossed his arms, "it's true! Don't believe me if you want, but I stick to it!"

"Well I don't have a story as dark as that," said one guard, an older, broad shouldered gentleman called Anthony, "my grandmother was related to the Aesir witches, its' where I got my fair hair from," he gestured to the slick back light brown hair, which they stared at for some time, "she always insisted on leaving out some sugar and milk for them. She said if you did you would never need to worry over the safety of your family or your home. Sure enough, despite being a single mother and living in a fairly isolated place, she was never hurt nor attacked. She said the brownies had accepted her offerings and protected her."

"I heard a rumour that some people bury a baby, the first born daughter, under the grounds of a home to protect it. They said that the belief was that the child would protect the home."

"That was the rule of the witches. They used to do that when they settled down and became pregnant for the first time. Their getting pregnant and married was them cheating their gods, so the first child being killed was a sacrifice."

"What? No that's not right, it something more than that. My mother used to say that when a witch got married, all the local cattle used to die. The only way to prevent it was to pray to the goddess for forgiveness for cavorting with the gods of the woods."

"That's not how I hear about it."

"What about the elves? I heard they like to make people ill as a joke."

"I heard they were the child thieves, not the faeries."

"They're one in the same aren't they?"

Matsuda looked back and forth in confusion. It seemed there was a lot to take in, just as he was beginning to panic with the barrage of different opinions and too much information, Aiber tapped him on his arm, "c'mon," the soldier said, "forget these guys, let's go to bed."

They climbed into their tent and undressed quickly, the cold making them hasten into their underwear and then into their sleeping bags.

"Aiber?" whispered Matsuda.

"Hm?"

"Are there really ghosts and elves and faeries and witches?"

"Yes, but don't worry, you're part of our team now." Matsuda felt Aiber ruffling his hair, "when you're part of a team, it means we look out for each other. Go to sleep."

Matsuda sighed and snuggled up in his sleeping bag, allowing the tension to slowly seep away.

* * *

**A.N- Did I make Aiber and Matsuda seem a little slashy? Or brotherly and sweet? :3**

**What do you think of Misa so far? Is she worth it? ;)**


	4. Jealousy and gossip

**A.N- So, for those who have put this story on alert or favourites, first of all, this story is 'Simple Matsuda.' It was about the simple farmhand who fell in love with a princess and was trying to get a job in the castle so he could win her over. Meanwhile Light and Mikami were both Princes and brothers, and Sayu went mysteriously missing.**

**Now, I haven't up dated in a long time. I offer my sincere apologies and my reasons for the hiatus. I began to release this story prematurely, the storyline was still too vague and I realised that I had not planned enough and so the story was not up to the standard I sincerely wanted it to be. I've taken some time out and finished a few other fics so that I can now focus on this story.**

**I have compeltely re-vamped the whole thing, and I strongly urge everyone to re-read it from the start. There are sections you will recognise, but there are entire scenes and portions added and chapter three is completely changed. The basic sory is the same, but I've added more in an attempt to raise the bar and to make it better. So, to understand the story, it is best to get reacquainted with it and to start from the beginning.**

**I really hope you all enjoy the story, and like the additional scenes and character development!**

* * *

While the men were terrifying and regaling each other with tales of the supernatural, Mogi wrote a quick note and tied to the leg of his hawk before setting it free to go back to the castle.

He watched the bird flying into the remains of the red, setting sun he let out a weary sigh. If the princess really had been taken, then this could be seen as a sign of war, and if he were honest to himself, he knew that the humans had become fat and lazy in their time of peace. The witches and monsters of the forests however, were as wily and wild as they ever were. If it came to a war, the humans would probably lose.

He noticed Ukita shuffling up and standing by his side.

"The guys are being a bunch of idiots," he said, after a moment of silence. "They're trying to scare Matsuda I think."

"It won't take much," Mogi answered, "Matsuda will probably quit by the end of the week. To be honest, I hope he does."

"It's that bad?" Ukita tightened his lips together when he saw his chief nod. He looked into the blood red sunset that was a thin slither on the horizon. It was already so dark.

"But why now?" he cried suddenly, unable to maintain a stoic facade, "it makes no sense!"

"When have they ever made sense," answered Mogi, before turning away back to camp. "I have told the King that we will stay a little longer on our search," he called back to a stunned and disheartened Ukita, "he will need to hire on extra men to protect the castle while we are gone."

xxXXxx

Many miles away, in the great white castle stood Prince Light looking over his land.

"The guards are not back yet," stated Mikami behind him.

"They're too ashamed," responded Light tonelessly.

"So they have found nothing of Sayu?"

"No, apparently not."

Mikami snorted derisively, "it's embarrassing that such a thing has happened and right under our noses too! First the debacle with those wizards or whatever they were, sneaking in and trying to frighten us, but now for Sayu to vanish, right from her own bedroom, it's absurd! We shall be the laughing stock of all the other kingdoms after the various princesses go home."

Mikami looked over to Light who was still staring out of his window.

"Are you alright brother?" Mikami queried, only to have Light face him.

"How can I be alright?" Light hissed, "Sayu is gone. She's _gone_. Who knows where she is or...or what's happening to her. The injustice of it is more than I can bear. Our guards are clearly useless fools, lazy and idle, which has caused this mess. What we need to do is go straight to the woods, which is what I advised from the start, and find those two wizards. They predicted calamity and here it is, surely orchestrated by themselves."

Mikami rolled his shoulders, uncertain of how to answer. He had never been particularly find or interested in Sayu, though she was his sister she was plain and dull, not like Light.

"Misa wants to eat dinner with us both tonight," he said, not wanting to continue talking of Sayu, "would you like to join us? She says she misses you. We have to have it in my bedroom, father is being most ridiculous and limiting where we can go. Imagine, it's our own home yet we are treated as prisoners!"

"No, I do not wish to dine with you" said Light, marching past Mikami, "I need to talk to our father. Something needs to be done, by goddess and if I can't rely on him or the guards, then I shall do it."

"What do you-?" began Mikami, but Light had already left the room and thereby leaving him alone. Mikami frowned; he hated being ignored by Light, and the bigger insult was that he was being ignored over inconsequential people such as Sayu or the wizards.

"Well," he said to himself, hurt in his voice, "I shall go and have dinner with Misa myself. Maybe I'll enjoy that more anyway." He didn't admit to even himself that Misa probably would not enjoy it as much as he would.

xxXXxx

In the great hall, Mogi's Hawk landed on the Kings arm and he read the message with dread and sadness.

Sinking into his throne, his wife came over and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"I was warned that this would happen." Soichiro said whilst his head was in his hands. Queen Sachiko, leant her head on his slumped shoulder and rubbed his back as the tears slowly began to fall. "They warned me, the wizards or witches or whatever they were," he continued bitterly, "they said calamity was approaching. They told me to be careful."

"How could you have known they were telling the truth?" she answered softly, "the magic people of the woods have always been liars. It may have even been them who took her."

"I thought that myself, but for what purpose? They've never been interested in stealing people before?"

They both sat up and looked at each other, "in the old legends, faeries would steal children away."

"But that is old wife tales," the King argued, "nothing like that has happened in hundreds of years, if they ever did happen. However, we will start the search parties in the woods. The witches are the most likely cause behind this tragedy. "

"Father."

Both Sachiko and Soichiro looked up to see Light, their youngest son, walking up to them, his face resolute.

"Son, I told you," frowned the King, "to remain in your room, where it is safe!"

"Whatever took Sayu was able to spirit her away from her own bedroom which was four floors up from the ground, all while a full guard were roaming the grounds. I'm certain that slightly limiting mine and Mikami's movements is not going to keep us 'safe'." Light put some emphasis on the last word, subtly mocking his father.

Soichiro sighed and sat back down, "I understand you are frustrated Light, but I have to do what I can."

"I told you to send the guards to the forests, where were they sent?"

"We decided it was too dangerous to send them in to the forests," answered his father quickly, "it would cause problems between us and the witches, not to mention it would have been hugely dangerous for our men. We sent them to the villages."

"So there was no order for them to advance in to the forests should the villages fail to yield results?"

"Correct."

"How could you be so short sighted?"

"Light!" cried his mother aghast at her son's sudden rudeness, "it isn't like you to be so defiant. Stop speaking this way."

"It is not just you who has lost someone," Light responded.

His mother had no reply for that.

"I want to lead a group of our guards into the woods," Light continued at length, "I want to find those two men who infiltrated our home. Even if they did not take her they knew something."

"There's no need for you to go," said his father, making Light blink; he had planned out the entire conversation, herding and guiding it so that by the time he made his request his father and mother would feel too guilty and brow beaten to do anything other than what he wanted; he had not expected his father to say he was unnecessary.

"The guard have already decided to go to the forests. Mogi, their captain, has sent me this," he held out the note. Light spotted the hawk sitting in the corner of the room on the head of a statue and cursed himself for being too stupid to notice it beforehand.

"The men go tomorrow morning, starting with the eastern woods and then going to the south, to the west and to the north until they find some information at the least."

"And what about us in the meantime, what if we are attacked again?"

"I have been advised to get some new recruits to be quickly trained up."

Light sneered, "so we are to be protected by a bunch of country bumpkin youths? Who advised this?" suddenly, he rolled his eyes, "let me guess, it was Takada?"

"Of course," his father frowned, "she is my advisor, who else would I listen to."

Light straightened his back and replied, "me!" before storming out of the hall, determined to find Takada.

xxXXxx

Takada was easily found. She was in her bedroom, located on the eastern wing of the castle. Light stormed into her room without knocking. She was in the process of getting g dressed and was only in her underwear.

She smirked when she saw him.

"Light," she purred, "how rude of you to storm into a lady's room. You have caught me quite unawares."

She stood, wearing only a corset and stockings, he body curvy but toned and her skin a soft light golden colour, similar to Light's.

"You are no lady," grouched the Prince, "who do you think you are undermining my ideas to my own father?"

"I had no idea that is what I was doing," she answered politely, her voice like silk, far too proud and self satisfied, it put Light on edge. She put on a nightgown, though it was see-through and therefore a false modesty. "I simply gave advice that was in the country's interest, it is you who laws has the ulterior motive. Wine?" She held out a bottle.

Light glared.

She shrugged and poured herself a glass; the wine was a rich red and stained her already painted lips after she sipped it.

"Look at you," sneered Light, "smirking like a sneaking witch that you are and sipping your poison like the devil. My sister is missing, and you are slowing down her rescue, why? Is it because of us, because of what we are? Because I found you too dull? Really, you would make an innocent girl pay for your short comings?" The wine splashed into his face, but he didn't care; Takada was not smirking anymore.

"I can do better than you, Light," she hissed like a cat, "just watch me. I have as much drive and ambition as you do, even more because I have to work harder than you will ever need to. Do not underestimate me and do not treat me like one of your little baubles!"

"Oh, you mean like Misa?" Light laughed, "so your petty jealousy has made you lash out at the nearest innocent that you knew would affect me?"

There was a taut pause as Takada made sure she didn't say what she was thinking.

"I think you should leave, your Highness," she finally said, her voice dripping sarcasm, "you have quite over-stayed your welcome."

Light gave her the most insincere smile he could muster before calmly leaving her room. It was fine, he would find his sister, no matter what his father said, he would restore the family honour and he would find a way of getting back at his treacherous former lover.

xxXXxx

Thanks to the queries of the guards, news of the Princess spread across the kingdom like wildfire. No one had ever given her much thought before, but now everyone had an opinion of her. All the villagers declared how she had looked like an angel, that she had been so meek and so quiet and so sweet-natured.

"Certainly she never spoke much," the baker said to anyone who would listen in the pub that evening, "but only because she was humble."

"That's right," replied the local magistrate who was slumming it with the proletariats. "Very sweet young girl. She was a great artists, she would look at a person before memorising their face and then drawing them with complete accuracy even hours after glancing them. She could sew and sing, though few heard her angelic voice," he burped loudly which covered up his simultaneous fart; "she was old fashioned, in a way. Not like these," he nodded towards the centre of the pub, where several young girls danced and giggled with the local farm boys. The older generation shook their heads disapprovingly (of course, in their day they had been far worse behaved, but still...)

"She was the epitome of female grace," responded his wife with a sniff, "the boys are boisterous and demanding, but she is their opposite, which is how it should be. I think she was a great relief to her parents. No doubt they are distraught, as we all are, of her disappearance."

"SHE WAS STOLEN!" suddenly screeched a mad looking old woman who had sneakily hobbled over to the group. They all jumped and flinched away from her, her stink alone was enough to repel the strongest personality.

"Get away you crazy old witch!" yelled the Magistrate in frustration. "This isn't the time for your superstitions and fairytales."

"She was stolen!" The hag continued unperturbed, "stolen by the Pixies! Oh, they are beautiful and bright but also evil, so evil! DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THEIR SHINY HAIR AND SLENDER HIPS!"

"Get her out of here," the official sighed and the bar owners two burly sons gladly complied. The old woman's smell and features, never mind her screaming and caterwauling, was scaring the customers.

After she was tossed into the streets to continue her yells out there, the customers laughed and settled down.

"Do you think she might have been a little right though?" asked a young milkmaid tentatively.

"Whatever do you mean, girl?" The Magistrate was quite red in the face now. The baker watched him carefully. If she could seduce him her status would rise exponentially...

"Well, do you think she could have been kidnapped?" the girl looked around at them all, "after all, there is a kind of wisdom in the insane and incontinent. Why do you think she mentioned pixies? What if she saw something, nay what if she predicted something? She is very witch-like..."

"True," responded another, "she had a wart on her left index finger, that is assign for sure!"

They all hummed and nodded in agreement.

"But nothing bad has happened," continued the girl, "aside from the kidnapping of Princess Sayu, so maybe the witch foresaw the pixies stealing her away!"

"Then the answer is simple," said one of the burly bar boys who had just helped throw out the old woman, "we go to where the pixies reside and get her back! If they are brazen enough to steal our Princess many bad things will happen; we will be the laughing stock of other Kingdoms for being unable to protect our Princess from a few hobgoblins, the pixies will get uppity enough to start stealing others-"

"Good Goddess!" screamed a woman from the other side of the pub who had been listening in, "they'll start stealing our babies again!" She hugged her two small toddlers to her legs tightly.

The boy nodded and continued, "they will. But also, we all know the Princes are not quick to accept women. What if they decide not to marry any woman, because none are good enough for them? Without Sayu, who could easily be married off, being plainer and more willing to get hitched to anyone, then there will be no heir to the throne. We'll be taken over!"

"A foreign King on our throne!" cried the drunken magistrate, "never! Not in my time!"

"Well where do the Pixies live?" Asked Wilhelm the baker's son, all fired up with whiskey and the nonsensical gossip, "where do we go to kill them all?"

An old man who had been watching the growing hysteria hobbled over into the middle of the pub, everyone watched him carefully as he calmly took a chair, sat down and lit a pipe. "I know," he said at length, "the pixies began their tomfoolery and tricks in my day. We fought viciously with them. The old lady is right; they are slim and pretty, but cruel and clever. They live up north," he grinned, showing half a dozen yellowed teeth, "in the land of snow and ice."

The people paled and looked at one another with fear in their eyes.

Everyone knew the north was full of nasty tribes of men with yellow and red hair. They were evil and not to be trusted.

However, with the drink people began to brag about what they would do to the pixies and how they weren't afraid to go against them.

Such silly talk in a little tavern in the middle of nowhere was the seeds that caused a war.

* * *

**A.N- Ok, _very_ nervous about this re-edit, especially as half this chapter was written months ago, and half at midnight when I had the time. I hope you all are enjoying the story.**

**Is anyone willing to be a beta? I fear that I need one, as I worry profusely over the quality of my writing, so if you are a beta and are willing to have me send you my chapters before their release, please let me know.**

**Finally, how is the story? Is it good or bad? Is the story adding up? Do you understand everything? Am I repeating plot points too often? Do you feel the characters have space to be themselves? Any crtique would be most appreciated!**


	5. Enter the woods

**A.N- If any beta's are willing to help me with this I'd be grateful. Please let me know if I have made any spelling or grammatical errors. Thank you**

* * *

Sneaking out of the castle was extremely easy, but then prince Light was an exceedingly intelligent man, so almost every challenge was 'easy' for him.

He walked out of Takada's bedroom and bumped into their butler.

"Excuse me," asked Light, as always being polite, "may I ask where my brother and Misa are?"

"Of course sir," the Butler smiled, "they're in Princess Amane's room right now sir."

Light gave his thanks and continued on, with no aim of going to his brother's ridiculous date. Instead he travelled down into the servant quarters and into the kitchens.

The people their yelped their surprise on his entrance, many leaping up form seats they had been resting on whilst talking to one another.

"Don't worry," he smiled sweetly, "it is nearly the winter months, please rest up until then, we are not busy." He turned to one flustered kitchen girl and dazzled her with his most charming smile, "my brother and I fell out over some silly thing this morning, I was hoping to arrange at fantastic meal for him and Princess Misa, could you work on that for me?"

At once the staff cheered that they would and busily got to work. As they did, Light slowly edged his way around the room before finally sneaking out the back door.

Once outside, he continued quickly on, keeping to the hedges and shadows until he heard one of the gardeners up ahead. He stepped out ad walked towards the man in a hurried manner.

"Your majesty!" the gardener exclaimed, "you should not be here! You must get inside, it is dark now!"

"Misa Amane is missing," answered Light, "please lend me your coat and go get my father. But do it quietly! It's shameful enough that our princess is gone, but if they find out that a foreign princess is missing, a war may start! Be discreet my good man!"

The old farmer nodded, determination in his eyes, and Light almost felt bad for lying so brazenly and using the people's good will and trust of him against them. _Almost_ felt guilty.

The gardener lent Light a thick, woollen jacket and hurried into the castle while Light snuck into the stables and took out his horse.

"_I need to catch up with the guards,_" he thought, _"if I ride through the night, I should catch up with them."_

_xxXXxx_

"Dear Prince," cooed Misa in a manner so fawning Mikami couldn't help grinning, "where is your brother, light?"

The grin faded.

"He was too busy," responded the dark haired prince, "he is worried about our sister."

"Oh of course," Misa looked at the ground, "Light spends a lot of time being concerned with others."

"Yes, but not me," returned Mikami, leaning over and taking her hand into his own, "I know how to prioritise."

She smiled, but pulled her hand away. Mikami felt his heart sinking slightly. Never, ever had he ever been interested in someone as much as he had in Misa. Normally Mikami disliked women and only had time for his brother, who was clever.

But then Misa had arrived at the castle with the other Princesses. He hadn't thought much of her at first, she was but one pretty girl amongst many others, but while Light was engaged in being host to the other ladies, Mikami had been, as he had thought of it then, saddled with Misa. But she had been so sweet and so in awe of his looks and intelligence, for once in his life, Mikami felt that he was the centre of attention and respect. Before he had always perceived that he shared that love and adoration of the people with his brother equally, but with Misa he began to realise that Light always was a little more loved and respected than he; Mikami realised that he was in Light's shadow.

He had fallen in love very quickly with Misa, deciding that he wanted to marry someone that only saw him and not him and Light as a pair. But then, Misa, unlike many other Princesses, stayed longer than expected, even without promise of marriage, and ended up meeting Light. After that, it was clear which Prince she preferred. Mikami kept trying to win her, kept trying to make her remember him, but he was failing miserably.

"_What can I do to make her notice just me?" _he wondered, feeling in agony and for the first time in his life, resentment towards Light. _"What I need to do is make her think Light is not as good as me, not as stable or as kind, I need to remove some of that sheen he has about him."_

"To be honest," he said to Misa, "I think...well...I only tell you this because you are close to us now."

"Of course!" she cried, eager to be seen as a trusted member of the family.

"He has been having an affair with one of the women who works here."

Misa gasped, "one of the maids?"

"No," responded Mikami, polishing his glasses on the corner of the table cloth, "a lady of higher repute than that, none other than our father's personal advisor."

"I don't believe it!"

"It's true."

"So why is it a secret, because she isn't of royal blood?"

"Our father isn't so strict, both Light and I can marry whomever we want. Of course, fellow blue bloods are preferred over a commoner, but still. No the reason why it is a secret, and you must keep it so, is because my brother likes to have the freedom to pick any woman at any time."

"No," whispered Misa, Mikami was both ashamed and happy to see her eyes were full of tears, "he can't be a cad. He seemed so charming."

"My brother is a good person," said Mikami with genuine feeling, "but...we all have our flaws."

"I see, Mikami," she blinked away her tears and placed her hand back into his own, "well, I shall simply have to keep myself safe from him, shan't I?"

She flickered her eyelashes at him flirtatiously and he smiled again, feelings of warmth and lust over riding niggling thoughts that he had done something he really shouldn't have.

xxXXxx

By the time morning broke, Light was standing next to his steed over-looking a vast and placid lake. The sky was a misty, light blue and a faint dusky pink. The odd cloud drifted slowly across heaven, slowly becoming less elongated and fluffier and round. Skylarks called out, hailing the approach of the sun.

Light stroked his mare's neck as she drank long and deeply from the lake. She was exhausted from running almost all night, through the little villages and towns the guards had been only a day before.

The castle was long in the distance now, but they still were not far from home, the edge of their kingdom was covered in wilderness, and that belonged to the witches.

When he felt she was ready, the golden eyed prince mounted his horse once more and continued at a steady pace towards the guards, following the clear trail they had left behind.

Soon he began to see smoke rising from a nearby hill. The woods could be seen just beyond it, standing tall and intimidating. Light was not given to the same hysteria of the wilderness as were his people, but he still maintained a healthy respect for it, and never had he ventured into it before.

The guards were having breakfast, a few pigeons they had caught and some hardening, crusty bread, when they saw none other than their prince riding up to them, looking cold and serious.

Aiber leapt up and went to collect Mogi.

Light jumped down from his horse and greeted the men.

"Hello all," he smiled quickly, "I have been searching for you all night."

"Is the princess home?"

"No, and I am unwilling for you men to take all the risk. She is my sister, and it is my family name on the line," Light looked up and saw Mogi coming towards him, Ukita and Aiber flanking him, "I want to go into the woods with you," he continued, "I want to try and find the two wizards who infiltrated the castle."

"With respect sir," said Mogi, stepping directly in front of Light, "we do not know how long we are going to be out here, or how dangerous it's going to be."

"Right now my family have no real protection and my country is facing humiliation," the prince responded, "I need this situation wrapped up quickly. I know why you men haven't wanted to return home, you are trying to save face as well, and I don't blame you. We will spend a week out here, five days, and then some of you will have to return back home. My family need protection. Plus, if we don't find Sayu in a week, the chances are we won't find her at all."

Mogi sighed through his nose, but nodded his head a second later.

Following his cue, the men hastily finished their breakfast (and offered Light some) and packed away, ready to enter the woods.

"That's pretty amazing that the Prince wants to help us, isn't it Aiber?" matsuda grinned, helping Aiber put roll up their tent.

"I don't know..." answered the blond. Matsuda looked at him, eyes wide in shock as Aiber lit up a cigarette. Matsuda had been over whelmed by Light's actions that morning, and all his life had only ever heard praise for Light and Mikami.

"B-but doesn't this show he loves his sister?"

"No," was the fast answer, "you heard him Matsu, he cares about how embarrassed the family and country are, and about the welfare of the rest of his family." Aiber looked at Matsuda and let out a little laugh, "wow you think he's like a god or something don't you?" Aiber knelt down to where Matsuda was kneeling and put his arm around the younger man's shoulders, "look, the royal family, they are pretty and glamorous, but they're human beings, like the rest of us. They poop and they fart, they argue, they can be selfish...they are human not gods. The sooner you realise their faults, the sooner you can see them for what they are and appreciate what they are good for." He stood and finished off the packing alone, "Light is good at being a tactician and swift. He will be a good king and judge. But as for being a good person, such as being generous or loving...maybe not so much. I am glad to have him with us in the woods, but I don't expect him to watch my back."

Matsuda stood and faced his new friend, "I'll watch your back then," he said, completely honestly and genuinely. Aiber smiled and ruffled the shaggy black hair, earning a grin from the ex-farmhand.

Within less than half an hour, the men were standing outside of the woods. The trees stood in a neat line, so high up that they looked like giants, peering down at the men with a sneering demeanour. The woods themselves were virtually silent, and it was so dark and dense that nothing could be seen within the towering trees.

"I don't like it," thought Matsuda, remembering all the horror stories he was told just the night before.

A cold wind blew over them, making them shiver and waking them out of their stupor.

"Come on," ordered Mogi quietly, going in first, followed by Ukita, then Light, then the rest of the men. They had all decided to go in on foot for their first time, worried that if any strangeness happened that the horses would go mad. The ground was covered in thick mud; the trees were so large that they sucked up all the light, so nothing could grow below them. Walking in the woods was hard, and soon the men were panting.

In the distance there was a shriek, making everyone jump.

"What was that!" screamed Ide.

"It was just an owl," replied Ukita.

"It's not night!"

"Well maybe a fox then, they sound like women sometimes, keep going."

"It may as well be night," muttered Aizawa.

"It's dark because that's what the elves like," Mido's voice could be heard saying. Some men were so far apart they were no longer visible.

"I heard elves like the light" said Anthony, "and it's trolls that like the dark."

"When the Aesir broke in half and fell from godhood-"

"Let's not argue about this now."

Light stopped walking and turned to the men, "gentleman, I understand that it is dark and frightening, but do not forget that you are soldiers and that we are looking for a member of the royal family. Let's not get carried away with the scary stories our mommies told us when we were children."

Suitably chastised the men continued in silence for some time, Matsuda found himself staying close to Aiber. He was slightly ashamed of his cowardliness but Aiber never said anything about it.

"Where are the birds?" asked Ide after some silence, "or the animals? I've been looking out for some tracks to show evidence of badgers or the like but I see nothing."

Before anyone could answer there was another shriek, it was closer this time.

"That is no fox!" cried Ide.

"Stay calm!" ordered Mogi before turning to Light, "there is something out there, I shall go see what it is."

"I will go with you,"

"No your majesty, I cannot allow that."

"You cannot go alone, I'm pulling rank, and I demand to go with you."

Mogi gritted his teeth, but walked towards where the sound was, quietly whispering to Ukita for him to lead the men back out of the woods should he and Light not return in five minutes.

Light and Mogi walked closely together and in silence; all that could heard was pained breathing from inching through the thick mud which was getting higher and higher.

"Did you see that?" asked Mogi suddenly.

"What?"

The prince looked at the guard to see the man looking around in confusion; he was looking up at the dark outlines on the trees.

"There is something in the woods, leaping from tree to tree."

Light frowned and focused his eyes, embarrassed that Mogi had spotted something before him.

The shriek let out again, and the men went so close together they feel the lengths of their bodies up against each other. Both men took out a weapon, Mogi a bow and arrow, Light a sword with the royal seal melded onto the hilt.

Suddenly, Mogi yelped and fell to the floor.

Light cried out his name in shock and knelt beside him. Mogi's face was scrunched up, loosening slowly as he fell into unconsciousness.

"Mogi, Mogi, stay with me!" Light shook him roughly and futilely, before seeing a small arrow in the man's neck. "Elfshot," he whispered.

Suddenly, there was a hum and half a dozen fireflies flew into scene and surrounded Light and Mogi in a circle of dull light.

A figure, lithe and hunched dropped from one of the trees and walked towards Light, who tightened his grip on Mogi.

"Don't worry," said a lazy, inflectionless voice Light recognised, "your friend isn't hurt."

The being came into the light, his face deadly pale, his hair and eyes so black that the face looked like a sheen of white paper that had two circles cut out of it for eyes, the hair was lost on the back drop, but Light could just abut make out that it was wild and gravity defying.

The creature knelt down in an awkward looking crouched position, staring at Light.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," spat Light, feeling hostile to a creature he did not understand, "my sister is missing, she went missing the day you and your uncle came to the castle trying to frighten everyone with your spells and dancing."

The creature cocked its head to the side and bought a finger to its lips, stroking them softly as it made a show of contemplating, "no..." it responded at length, "my dancing is very good." He looked at Light and fixed on him that terrible stare, "I practiced it for weeks before turning up at your castle."

"Liar! Where is my sister?"

"Ok, I admit, I practiced for a few minutes...well...no I made it up on the spot, but it was all the better for it."

"Just tell me where my sister is!"

"I have no idea."

"Liar!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No, you're the liar. How is the lovely Takada doing by the way?"

Light felt the colour drain from his face, "how do you know of that?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. No one knew of his affair apart from Mikami, and even he was sketchy on the details. "How long have you been watching our household?"

"Long enough to not find any of you interesting enough to be worthy of kidnapping," answered L, shuffling up closer to Light. L seemed to be wearing next to no clothing, and the goose pimples on his arm showed that he was cold. Light decided to try and different tact.

"I will give you this warm coat," he gestured to the gardener's coat he was still wearing, "if you help me find my sister."

L nodded and let up a smile which light was disgusted to find was rather cute.

"Alright Light, prince of smirking and arrogance," Light's eye twitched but he said nothing, "I can give you a clue. First of all, the person who has your sister has kept her alive and will keep her alive."

"Will this person release Sayu? Hat is the cost for her freedom?"

"Maybe, but there is no cost. Sayu is safer with this person than she is in your castle. You people, you fear everything around you, so you locked yourselves up, never realising that the enemy is within."

"Who is the enemy?"

"There are traitors amongst you."

"Who? Who? Takada?"

L shook his head, "I can't tell you, there are rules that, alas, even I have to follow. Your sister will be gone all winter, and things are going to get worse for you and your family, I'm very sorry."

Light brushed a tan hand through thick hair, L watched with interest, "is it a curse?" said the prince, "have you people cursed us? Can we stop it?"

"It isn't a curse; we haven't done anything to you. It's just bad luck. Though, maybe some important lessons will be learned in the process."

L leaned forward, seemingly unable to help himself, and brushed Light's hair into place, revelling at the feel of soft hair in his fingers. Light himself shivered slightly as L brushed against his skin.

"I will say this," muttered the Elvin being, "you need to stop the prejudice, not for our sakes, but your own. Your culture demonises others and it is to your own undoing. Stop your father from falling into easy assumptions."

Light nodded, feeling his eyes flickering. "I will. Is there a way I can find you again?"

L smiled quickly, "yes, go into any woodland area and call for me. But I will only come when you really need me. I am a busy thing."

Light stared for a moment before asking, "what are you exactly?"

"Hm," again a theatrical show of thinking was made, "I'm not sure myself."

xxXXxx

The guards stayed ten minutes longer than they were meant to, and were about to give up when light came into view, carrying the heavy Mogi. The men rushed forward to help him with the older man.

"What happened?" cried Ukita.

"Elfshot," said the prince. "Apparently he'll be fine by tomorrow."

"They ambushed you?" said Ide, looking around with wide eyes, "oh god, are we under attack?"

"It was just the one," said Light calmly, "I don't know why he chose to shoot Mogi, but he is very strange. We aren't under attack, he told me that there is danger at home and that Sayu is not dead or in any immediate danger."

Ukita nodded, "then some of us need to return home and others should keep looking."

Matsuda gulped, hoping that he would be one of the ones allowed to return to the castle, but knowing somewhere that that wish probably wasn't going to come true.

* * *

**A.N. ****Question**

**1- Is everyone in character? I know this is AU but I still like them to be IC.**

**2- Do you feel like you are starting to know the guards? I like side characters to have personalities that you remember, is this coming across?**


	6. Winter arrives

Rumours of the Princesses disappearance ran rife throughout the Kingdom, becoming more ridiculous and grandiose the longer the search went on. Winter seeped into the land, turning everything white. The first pangs of hunger began to hit the poorer peoples, and the land became cruel. The howls of starving wolves kept everyone out of the forests. Well almost everyone. The Kings men searching for their poor lost dark eyed princess searched in armed gangs through the heavy woods. They went through villages asking anyone if they had seen anything or anyone resembling her. They even began to search through the dark waters of lakes and ponds, looking now for a young body ravaged by water.

The search had become desperate. Winter bought with it not only hungry wolves but also it awoke the trolls and December was the Witches Hunting Season. The villages were frightened. No one wanted to be out looking for the Princess, even if they were concerned for her safety. As each day went by, the chances of her being alive reduced significantly.

Currently Matsuda and some of the other men were wading through the bogs just north of the Castle. They all had long poles which helped them decipher which parts of the bog were too deep to walk through. It was also a way of feeling for any dead bodies within the mud.

Within his first month as a member of the Guard, Matsuda had already a little disappointed with his new role. Granted he now had somewhere nice and warm to sleep- the barracks even with their thin mattresses and flat pillows were much more comfortable than sleeping on itchy straw in a cold barn. He also liked his colleagues, Matsuda found that he was better at being a guard clumsily looking for a princess than he ever was being a farm hand, and so the men were nice to him. They treated him and Mido the best because they were the youngest, and Matsuda found that he enjoyed their gruff henpecking and fussing.

The bad was that he had received almost no training in his role, there had been almost no time. Days were spent looking for the third heir to the throne, and only on the odd nights when they hadn't been completely exhausted by searching would Ukita take Matsuda out for some training with a sword or how to march appropriately. Matsuda, as expected was clumsy. He dropped his sword often and at times it had flung out of his hand during an over-enthusiastic thrust. Ukita privately believed that if war was ever to break out in their land, Matsuda would almost certainly be killed, probably by himself in a gruesome accident.

Matsuda rarely saw the members of royalty and when he did he remembered what iber had told him about tem only being people. He even began to see it himself. He saw that the king worried profusely over the situation with the princess, but seemed to be taking no sensible advice, the queen was mostly silent and ineffective, and Matsuda was particularly surprised to see that Mikami, the royal he saw the last of, barely seemed to care that his sister was gone.

Increasingly Matsuda began to feel that he and his fellow guards were the only ones really fighting to find Sayu alive, and now with winter that search had become frantic. Indeed, slowly but surely, Misa became a dream he barely remembered and instead with dread and fear he began to worry about Sayu and what exactly had happened to her.

xxXXxx

"How can there still be nothing?" sighed King Soichiro, worry lines deepened on his forehead. His wife was upstairs in bed, ever since winter came, its icy white fingers greedily grabbing at the land, she had fallen quite ill and had become bed-ridden.

Instead of his wife, Takada stayed resolutely by his side, watching the guard relay his news with sharp eyes.

"We have gone through the bogs of the East," Mogi continued, "dragged the vast lakes of the North. We have trailed over and over again the forests. We have travelled up the mountains due west, but have stopped short always of entering another country. The Princess Sayu is nowhere to be found, alive or...or dead."

The King closed his eyes in pain at the man's last word, but rallied himself valiantly before responding in a harsh voice, "then she must have been taken beyond the borders!"

Mogi shifted nervously before, "well...there are many rumours. People are saying that the faeries took her."

"That is nothing but silly peasant talk, the disappearance of my daughter is sport to them. No, she must have been taken by someone, but who?"

"The faeries sir," said Takada, "are the people of the north. The peasants believe the faeries to be light haired and fair skinned. When they saw the northerners, that's what they began to call them."

The king faced him curiously, "so you mean the people think the northerners must have stolen Sayu?"

"They have no exact king," the advisor began to point out logically, "their tribes are wild and rough and it is not unknown for them to sneak into foreign lands in order to steal away their inhabitants. They go on to sell these human as slaves. It's a cruel business but we always stayed out of it as we never thought they stole our own...though there have been reports of children and girls going missing on their borders...we always thought it was perhaps rumour."

"Well that was foolish of us," the king sat down heavily upon his throne. "She could be long gone if this rumour is true. It has already been nearly a month. We need to get in contact with the North. They have no King you say?"

"Again it's all muddled up in peasant myth. They say there isn't a king but there is an Aesir that rules them all."

"What on earth is an Aesir?"

"A god, my liege."

"A god?" repeated the King incredulously, "they have a god in the north?"

"It's all gossip," interrupted Mogi, blushing slightly when the two others looked at him; being a guard he knew he was nothing to them, and should only speak when being spoken to, but felt unable to help himself. "Its fairytales, the same my own men use to pass the time, the problem is that when myth is tangled into reality it causes unnecessary hysteria. Many of my men have succumbed to being so ridiculously paranoid of elvin attacks during our search for the Princess that I now can only rely on a handful of men to search with me."

"Well with all respect," bit back Takada, "I believe that is your own short comings. Maybe you should train your men to be strong warriors, not gossipy old housewives. I hear you hire anyone now, even a little fool from a local village?"

"All the guards come from villages," Light's vice called out. Everyone turned to see the prince walking towards them, his eyes on Takada. "The village people have been good to this castle and their loyalty to my family is extraordinary. Matsuda, the boy you speak of, has received little training because he is out most days camping in the wilderness looking for my young sister. It's more than you seem to be doing."

The Prince and advisor stared at one another, barely a hairsbreadth apart.

"Come now," called the King, making Light look away first, "let's not turn on one another. Takada makes sense when she says we must worry about the foreign lands. Our own elves do not have Sayu, that much is clear, and it makes sense ha they wouldn't. Whilst being tricky and naughty, they have never hurt our family, or at least not in a long time. So maybe it is these northern people."

"I don't like how quickly we are judging others." Light complained, L's warning ringing in his ears. "The elf in the woods told me that she was safe. I believe him."

"Believe him?" cried Takada incredulously, "he's an elf, it's insane! He wanted to spread lies so that we would turn on one another."

"He said there were traitors within our own walls, and I think that is more logical than some foreign god randomly stealing our princess!"

A small but polite cough alerted them to a new comer.

Princess Misa stood at the door, smiling softly, as if slightly embarrassed to be intruding. She looked hopefully at Light, who tried not to roll his eyes and look away.

"What is it Misa?" He asked, "I cannot come and be with you now, I'm sure Mikami would like to see you."

"I'm already with her," from behind the door, Mikami appeared, walking behind Misa and putting a possessive hand on the small of her back.

The two brothers looked at each other coldly; their relationship had been slowly cooling for many weeks since Light's return to the castle.

"She has something that she wishes to add to the discussion, something I have encouraged her to say," the prince smiled smugly, as if he were some great hero for getting her to spill the beans.

Misa walked up to the group and began, "as you know, all the other foreign princesses are gone, their hopes for becoming one of your brides now extinguished." She looked up at Mikami and batted her eyelashes, causing his smirk to widen to a grin. Again Light managed not to roll his eyes just before she looked back at them all. "Some went honourably and quietly, but some did not. I know that one of the princesses was very angry and felt that she had been scorned by...erm..."

She blushed and looked at the ground.

"It is alright," encouraged the King.

"Yes," cooed Takada, putting her hand on the smaller woman's shoulder, "tell us, it is alright."

"Well," she continued, "I don't know what kingdom the girl came from, but I remember she had light blonde hair that had hints of ginger in it, and cold blue eyes, and she was very pale."

"Sounds like a northerner, my liege," said Takada, looking at the king.

"so what?" gasped Light, increasingly frustrated by everyone's stupidity, "we go and declare war, our little kingdom against an unknown race of people, all because a fair haired girl was apparently annoyed with me?"

At this point everyone spoke at once.

"What do mean 'apparently'?" shouted Mikami, "Misa is telling the truth!"

"Maybe you should treat women better, Prince Light," said Takada, raising an eyebrow.

"Misa is scared!" the princess whimpered and pushed her face into Mikami's chest.

"We have people who look like that in our kingdom," it was this quiet response from the king that made everyone look at him.

"Yes," said Takada, "some of our guards have fair hair and fair eyes."

"Lots of people in our country do," complained Light, seeing where the conversation was going, "so what?"

"There are rumours that those with fair hair are linked the elves..."

"Misa has blonde hair!" barked Light, turning to his brother, "what, should we make her leave, or blame her for Sayu's disappearance?"

Mikami gripped Misa tighter, "she has hair the colour of the sun and a healthy glow to her skin," he argued, "she's nothing like the pallid weirdo's from the north."

Light shook his head in amazement and turned to his father, "do you see?" he asked the king, "do you see how easy it is? Already we're starting to call the northerners names, though we have no idea if they have done anything! It's all conjecture."

Soichiro looked at his son, and Light could see that behind the fear there was some rational behind the older man's eyes.

"Dad, please..." he whispered before-

"The nursemaid who was supposed to be caring for Sayu is fair also," said Takada as if Light hadn't spoken.

Soichiro's eyes went back to the panicked, irrational look they had held the past few weeks.

"Arrest her," he commanded Mogi, who looked distinctly uncomfortable, "I need the truth, arrest her! Mikami, do some research and find out her origins!"

"Yes sir," said Mikami, withholding a smile and leading Misa out, not noticing that as he did, she still gave a longing glance to Light.

"You're making a mistake!" called Light, but for the first time in his life, everyone ignored him and he was left alone in the hall.

He grit his teeth and frowned, sitting down on his father's throne, "_I'm using the wrong tact,"_ he decided in his head, "_no amount of reason will sway them now. There is far too much fear going around and everyone is behaving ridiculously. I'll have to use that instead...maybe I can frighten them off from announcing war using the rumours of northern magic against them?_

"_Though...maybe...maybe the truth is I'm too late. The moment Sayu went missing is the moment the first domino fell. I need to get Sayu back. I need to find that elf, L."_

_xxXXxx_

Meanwhile, many miles away, in the rocky domain of the north King Mello, known in his land as the '_Aesir_,' sat on a throne made of bone and layered with furs. He was surrounded with his spies, whom he had sent out to the neighbouring countries. There should have been twenty but there were only nineteen. His eyes sharpened. "_Whoever is not here better be dead,"_ he thought. He would do terrible things to those who dared to waste his time through being late and death was the only excuse Mello would ever accept.

The spies reported back the usual; his country was looked upon with fear, there were rumours (which Mello was happy to keep running) that he was a fearsome warlord and a dark magician. No one would dare attack him. And, happily for everyone, there were no plans of anyone going to attack anyone else. All was peaceful which was especially ideal for him and his tribes; they had it hard enough already, with little food and almost constant winter. The last thing they needed as well was war.

Just as he dismissed his spies, he sensed someone sneaking up behind him.

In a second he whipped round and grabbed them by the throat. "Why are you late?" He hissed.

"I'm sorry my Liege," the spy spluttered. Mello let them go. "I have news from the Kingdom of Soichiro. His daughter has vanished. They are saying it was you."

"Me? Why would I have her?"

"It spread through the Kingdom like wildfire. They are saying that she was seen travelling up to this land. Also, the people already think you're a magician and evil. They think you have stolen her, some say this is you proclaiming war, some say you've stolen her to marry her."

Mello looked blank.

That morphed into a look of incredulous humour.

Which in turned transformed into absolute cold hearted fury.

"They dare accuse me!" he growled, "what would I want with some simpering southern girl?"

He called out for his most favoured advisor and tactician.

"Matt!"

A red head boy appeared, his eyes glued to a piece of parchment he was busily writing on, "what is it, my Aesir overlord?" he answered drolly.

"I need the people near the southern quadrant ready," answered Mello, pointedly ignoring Matt's sarcasm. "We may be attacked at any point by that idiotic little kingdom below us, so we need to be ready."

"How long for, sir?" the boy asked, "what if they don't attack?"

"They will, they're working themselves up into a frenzy. That kingdom has always been enslaved to its own superstitions."

"I think it would be wise to assume the best."

Mello sighed, "fine. One month. I shall give them one month. If in that time they do not attack, I shall send you down with some others to ask them to become allied with us, or at least friends." He sunk down in his throne, looking at his advisor and spy, "I don't like having to make friends with other nations," he moaned, childishly, "but if I have to in order to prevent any more potential wars I shall. One month Matt."

Matt finished scribbling on his parchment before gracing his leader with a quick smile, "very well, my lord."

* * *

**AN. I imagine Mello like a sort of Viking. A slightly gay looking Viking. Cool or what?**

**Seems this fic has started to make a slight commentary on racism, which wasn't my original intent. I often find my fanfic end up being slightly more serious than I meant them to be. **

**Anyway,**

**Question- should I use the names 'Matt' and 'Mello' or 'Mail' and 'Mihail'? I think the latter names sound more exotic and so suit them better in this situation, or should I stick to the names we mostly know them as (as I did with most characters, such as Aiber or Matsuda?)**

**Also, what do you all think of Misa?**

**Finally, I hope I didn't make Light too ineffectual here. I know he is a great logician and manipulator, but here he's never had to manipulate before (being a prince and so always getting what he wants) and so his skills aren't quite honed, also logic doesn't work against fear and prejudice.**

**Likewise Soichiro doesn't do everything Light says because he is scared and because he has other people whose opinions he trusts, so basically I've really given Light a bunch of handicaps he never had in the cannon.**

**Please let me know any errors, and let me know if anyone wants to beta :)**


	7. Fallout

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I have a meeting coming up with my boss, and have had to prepare for that. Also my neighbour has been screaming racist insults at me because apparently my pet cat is out of control (which is amazing as I don't actually own a pet cat, or any other animal) so I had to deal with that stress as well. So I ended up releasing this later than expected.**

**This still has no beta, and so may have errors in it. Please forgive and point them out (or just l****et me know that I need to proof read once more). L fans do not despair, I do intend to bring in L a little more as time goes on, but it has to be one storyline/ character arc at a time for clarity.**

**Thanks for the reviews :)**

* * *

Matsuda shivered in his tent and curled up closer to Aiber, feeling the blond curly hairs from the back of Aiber's head tickling his face. He, Aiber, Anthony and Mido were all crushed together in the small tent, but no one complained because at least being squashed meant that there was more body heat.

As Matsuda had predicted long ago, he was one of the men that didn't get to go home. He was rarely in the castle and he hadn't been given leave to return to his old village even once.

He sorely regretted not saying good bye to everyone on his last day there, and in the quiet Matsuda found himself thinking and reflecting a lot more than he did in the past.

"_Weird how I just up and left,"_ he mulled over in his still half-asleep mind_, "I didn't really think about what I was signing up for, and now my whole world has changed."_

He could hear the birds outside just over the snores of his friends.

"_It must be morning,"_ he thought, though because it was winter, outside was still very dark. Deciding that he wasn't tired anymore, he reluctantly uncurled his body off Aiber's and put on his outer clothing. Stumbling outside his rubbed his eyes and made his way to where their food packs were. Before Matsuda would have never left the safety of the tent alone whilst in the wilderness, but he had now seen and been in so many forests, woods, bogs and moors that he had ceased to be afraid and was now merely cautious.

He stoked up the fire (something he knew the men would appreciate) burning himself couple of times in the process, but keeping his pained yelps quiet.

Getting some of the mackerel they had stored in a tub of salt, he pierced them onto a spit and put them over the fire, enough fish for each of the men. There were only eight guardsmen at the moment. Mogi had ended up not being able to send most of the men out into the wilderness; many had complained that it wasn't their job, that they weren't a rescue team or even really soldiers.

Matsuda had been afraid to go out and had partially wanted to join the rebellious guards, but in the end he decided it was better to be brave. He wanted to be a good guard, and this job was the best he had ever been at everything. He hadn't wanted to let his team down and he really wanted to find the princess. So in the end, Matsuda and seven others had become the most reliable people to Mogi.

Matsuda sat up hearing a horse in the distance. Immediately he sprung up and ran to the nearest tree, climbing up it (though stumbling a few times) and looking out over the horizon. Sure enough a horse and a rider were approaching from the midlands. Matsuda recognised the horse and climbed down quickly before adding another fish on the spit.

"You'll make a good wife someday."

Matsuda turned around and grinned at Mido, who had just crawled out of his tent and was making his way to the fire and fish.

"The two old men are still sleeping," he grinned, settling down next to Matsuda.

"Prince Light is coming," Matsuda replied, "I saw his horse."

"I wonder why...he doesn't normally come out to see us. Not on these smaller searches."

"Maybe he wants to try and find that elf again."

"The one he said that had the dark eyes...that hurt Captain Mogi?"

Matsuda nodded.

"Hm, maybe. He should just one of the old men," Mido gestured back to the tent, where Aiber and Anthony slept, "they're both related to faeries."

"Because of the fair hair?"

"And because they have said it themselves." Mido took the spit from its place above the fire and took a piece for himself and handed another to Matsuda.

"They're pretty valuable." He continued. "I mean, in these matters. It's good to have people that are kind of two things, it means there is a meeting point between us."

"Maybe," Matsuda ate his food quietly; in the last few weeks he had become far more sceptical and wondered at people like Mido who seemed to believe so much. He was certain that the stories Anthony and Aiber told were exaggerated and not that much different from what most of the ordinary, dark haired people of his country said. Part of him even doubted they were part fairy, and that even if they were, it didn't really mean anything.

His scepticism had mainly been brought about by two things, one being that everyone seemed to have a different way of describing how these magical creatures were supposed to look and act, and the second being that through all their journeying, they hadn't come across any supernatural beings other than the one time Mogi was hurt, and even then Matsuda hadn't actually seen anything.

At that moment, Light came through the hedges and quietly got off his horse, nodding his welcome to the men; Mido and Matsuda leaping up respectively to salute their prince, before quietly offering him a fish.

The three sat down.

"Are the others still asleep then?" Light asked.

He sounded innocent enough but both Mido and Matsuda noted a slight note of disapproval in the young royals voice.

"We have been searching for so many days, well into the late night," answered Mido quickly, "everyone is very tired. Plus, they're old men," he smirked jokingly, "Matsu and I are still young so we can go to bed late and get up early."

"You guys should think about doing shifts, or rota's," continued Light, whilst chewing on his fish. Matsuda watched with interest, it seemed strange to see a childhood hero sitting down and eating basic food with him and his peers.

"What do you mean?" asked Mido.

"Some of you should rest while others watch over the sleeping and others should search. That way they'll always be someone looking, and when you are sleeping you are less likely to be caught off guard in case of an attack."

"I suppose sir but..."

"But what Mido? You can tell me."

"Well, there really aren't enough of us."

Light sighed and put down his fish, "have more men left?" The boys nodded. "How many are here now?"

"Just eight now, milord."

Light's jaw clenched and he scowled, "it's not good enough. It isn't fair for you to work alone. They are soldiers, they are meant to do things like this." Light sighed in frustration and stood up, his back to the men, "when did our countrymen become so weak?" he bemoaned, "everyone is a coward now, clinging on to their silly superstition. It will get us all killed! Sometimes..." he turned back to look at Mido and Matsuda, noting in his peripheral vision that Rester and Aiber were coming out of the tent, "sometimes I feel that you guys are my most loyal supporters. Clearly, you are the few brave souls that truly care about the well being of my family."

"Of course Sir!" cried Matsuda with feeling, getting caught up in Light's words.

Light smiled winningly and knelt down in front of the two young men, a hand on each of their shoulders and he looked at them both one at a time while swearing, "I trust you men the most, and I want you to know that I genuinely understand and appreciate you, even if," a dark shadow crossed his face, "even if other members of my family are not so grateful. Remember that boys!"

Mido had sat quietly and without expression throughout Light's speech but Matsuda had been animated and it was clear that when light had mentioned 'gratitude' he had not understood what Light had meant. He opened his mouth to ask for details, but at the same time Mido quickly put his hand by Matsuda's mouth, and Light stood up to greet the two older fair headed men.

"_Shh_!" hushed Mido in Matsuda's ears while Rester and Aiber received Light's platitudes, "we'll talk about it later, but just smile and nod to whatever the prince says alright?" Matsuda nodded and Mido smirked, "good!"

"Gentlemen," Light greeted the fair headed ones, "may I talk to you both privately for a moment?"

He led them away, Mido and Matsuda watching carefully.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Mido turned to Matsuda and began to explains, "Prince Light is having problems with his family. I think he's trying to get us on side."

"How could you know that?" Matsuda blinked in surprise.

Mido smirked, "because I can read between the lines. The Prince is turning up more frequently to see us, where his family couldn't be less interested. Also, they haven't been pushing for the other guards to come out and look. We're the only soldiers here, and we aren't even really trained. You and I are the youngest of the group! It's obvious that only Prince Light is pushing for us to be here and for us to be looking."

"But why wouldn't the family care?" complained Matsuda, the whole conversation feeling dangerous, "surely they want their daughter back?"

Mido shrugged in response, "maybe they do. But I only see one person out here. I think e wants our loyalty to be on him and him alone, not the King or the other prince."

Matsuda nodded and fell into silence, mulling over what had been said. Finally he turned back to Mido and declared, "I like Light. I think...I think I would prefer him over any of the others, if asked." Dimly, he realised with some surprise that even if Light married Misa, he would still like and support the Prince.

"I would follow Light over the others too," replied Mido, "but not for the same reasons as you. Following Light is where the smart money is. He's the smartest member of the family. If there was ever a fight between them, he would win." The young brunet winked and grinned at Matsuda, finishing his fish with relish.

Meanwhile, Light led the blonds far from the young, dark haired boys. Light knew that he had left them at the stage where they would decipher his words together. He felt confident of their loyalty to him. They had long ago started looking up to him as a distant, wiser older brother figure; even Mido, who was not as smart or as worldly as he thought he was. Light left them knowing that they would decide they would be faithful to him, and always believing that it was themselves who made this decision, not that they had been manipulated into loving him.

Now it was time to move onto something even more serious; the protection of the fair-haired people of his land and his good name in the process.

Far away from camp that they were concealed and cold, Light turned to the two men, who were eyeing him somewhat suspiciously. Light knew Aiber in particular wasn't a massive fan of him or his family, but had a lot of love for his fellow work mates. Light just needed to make Aiber feel that he was a member of their team as well.

"I feel the need to warn you both that my father is not himself lately." Light cringed inside, he hated taking badly of his father. But it needed to be done. "Everyone in the castle is falling into the notion that all fair headed ones are part of the fairy and elf offensive. You may be in danger."

The two men started slightly, Rester recovering more quickly.

"Will we be made to leave?" he asked, his voice rough, angry, offended and even a little hurt, "or will it be worse than that?"

"I don't think anyone will be killed," Light said hurriedly, "but I am concerned of the types of advice that is being poured into my father's ear at the moment. I think something is afoot, but I cannot say more than that."  
"A traitor?" asked Aiber, "someone deliberately stirring up ill feeling in the kingdom?"

"There may be a war," said Light in a low voice, forcing the men to put their heads close together and to form a triad circle, "a war with the fair haired folks of the north."  
"The ones everyone thinks are elves, the fools."

Light bristled at Rester's insult. "In all fairness," he answered briskly, "the silly fairytales of magical grandparents and what-not has not helped. I know that we are all people, and I know that elves are not all evil," his mind flashed to the dark haired freak he'd met so many months ago, "but others do not realise this. We need to do some damage control. I am going to call off the searches for Sayu. When I do, go home and make good relationships with the people around you, No talk of magic or any other nonsense, and persuade others you know of the same. If you have any problems, you can always ask for me or send me a message."

The men nodded and offered Light thanks. Light was pleased to see that Aiber's resistive stance and hard eyes had all softened. Aiber and the other blonde's of the land would be on his side.

Now all he needed to do was to get the elves on side, then hopefully, even if he could not stop a war, he could prevent one from ever happening again.

Back in the Castle, Mikami and Misa were having breakfast with his parents.

They ate quietly, talking now and then about what a beautiful morning it was, on how nice the meal was and generally pleasant small talk. No one mentioned the missing members of the family.

Mikami sighed happily, sneaking a glance at the pretty blonde at his side.

He felt content with Misa, though he wasn't sure why. She did not match his intellect, and was giddy and loud where he was serious and reserved. But maybe it was her being so unlike him that made him attracted to her. For years his world had been focused on himself and his brother. They were both smart, ruthless and determined. The only respect they ever really had was for one another (though Light always seemed to hold their father in high esteem, Mikami had never known why, their father was a very average and dull man by his reasoning.)

But now Mikami had love, and that was a very different feeling from before. For the first time, he wasn't satisfied being in just light's presence, for the first time he was not craving his brother's approval. He wanted Misa, he wanted to be her most important person, he wanted her love and admiration, he wanted her to be with him, he wanted her to love him as he did her.

"Excuse me, Madam Queen," squeaked Misa, after giggling at something the King had said. Mikami was shaken out of his thoughts and smiled at her voice. "But where is Light?"

Mikami froze at her question. Light, Light, Light, she was always asking about Light!

His parents had stiffened as well, but they smiled and hid their distaste better than Mikami, who wasn't bothering to control his face or body.

"He has gone to check on the guards who are still searching the wilderness for Sayu." The King responded not impolitely but in a clipped tone.

The Queen, sniffing with sudden upset, quickly made her exit, no doubt ready to run to her room and burst into floods of tears over her dismantling family.

"Oh, I'm sorry," continued the Princess, not sounding sorry at all, "I just would have liked to see him is all..."

"Of course you would have!" Roared Mikai suddenly, making everyone jump and stare at him. "Who could possibly be satisfied eating with the royal members of a foreign land, when one insignificant member, who doesn't even _desire_ your company, is missing?" Mikami stood and began to pace, his heart and head pounding with anger. "Maybe Light is right," he continued to rant, glowering intermittently at the stupidly blinking Misa, "maybe you are too stupid to be worth bothering with! He thinks you are a moron, Misa! He doesn't even like you! My relationship with my brother is in tatters, and all because and for you! I would have given him up, even though I loved him, all because I loved you more! I love you, but clearly that isn't enough, you need a man who spurns you and that you hardly know anything about. You have the audacity to inflict yourself upon me and my family, flinging yourself at my brother in front of us all, while all the other Princesses have rightfully left and I love you and have made my intentions clear." He suddenly stopped yelling, and instead took in deep gasps, trying to catch his breath. He felt a warmth in his eyes as tears began to swell. "I shall never be good enough shall I?" He said to her, before leaving the stunned King and Princess alone.

It was the last thing Mikami would ever say to Misa.

* * *

**A/N- :O What do you all think of Mikami and Misa?**

**Also, any predictions for what will be happening in this fic later? ;)**


	8. Rising tensions

**Rising tensions**

_"What do you know when you know me?  
Don't file me under categories,_

_You're deceived  
You don't know me  
I'm not only a surface, a country..."_

_**Double Agent**_ **by Amanda Marshall**

* * *

"Halle, darling," Takada called the brown haired beauty to her.

It was evening at the castle. Light had still not returned, but he was spending more and more time away from his family. Takada smirked. Light didn't enjoy being around his family anymore. That was better for her. If he disliked his family, then maybe, once she had won him back, he would be more willing to make a new family with her.

Takada did not relish the idea of having sex with Light. She was not sexually attracted to him, or any other man. But she did want everything else Light could offer; his intelligence, wealth and prestige.

But for now, she focused her gaze on the former nanny of Sayu.

"Darling, why don't you return to your village?" asked the advisor, her voice drawling with false sympathy.

"I cannot," responded Halle, sounding very morose, "how can I return? It's humiliating. The princess is gone, I did not do my job properly. Please," the nanny grasped Takada's silk robes, "please let me stay a little longer. The Princess may return and I want to be here when she does!"

Takada prised Halle's hands off her expensive clothing, noting how fair the nanny's skin was, before brushing her robes down as if Halle had somehow tainted her. "Of course you can stay a little longer," she smiled in an oily manner, "you have been very good and very loyal to the Royal Family."

Takada leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the pretty brunette's head before sweeping away, her oriental gowns floating slightly.

When the advisor was gone, Halle scowled and allowed herself to shudder as she rubbed away the feeling of the kiss on her head. Halle did not like Takada and she certainly did not trust her.

She leapt up and went immediately to her room, which was in one of the tower attics.

It was very small and exceedingly humble, with a single bed complete with one blanket and one pillow (given to her by Sayu) and a handful of candles to use as warmth and light. She also had, underneath one of her floorboards, some writing equipment. Getting out the parchment and ink and quill, she began to write a detailed summary before calling over her Hawk.

But just as the bird arrived, the door opened of her little room, and in came Takada, all her silks floating about her. "My dear, what is this you are doing?" the advisor swept up to the poor nanny and pulled her from grasp the detailed summary of what had been happening to the kingdom.

"I am relating news of the land in general to my family back home," answered the nanny, her voice not betraying how frightened she felt.

Takada smirked. "I think it will be best for the King to see this. While he is reading, I will have you bathed, special attention being held on your hair." Takada leaned down and began rubbing one of Halle's locks, "it's not really brown is it?" she sneered, "not like mine. Your hair is pale; pale like the northern elvin monsters you have been selling our secrets to."

"That's not true!" gasped the nanny, "I have not been treacherous! I care for Sayu! I do! I want her back! My people did not take her away, it's lies!"

But the nanny was ignored as Takada swept away smirking, leaving the woman behind her to be manhandled out of her room and into a large bath by huge, hulking guards under her command.

xxXXxx

The north was considered a desolate wasteland to all who did not live there. It was cold and constantly covered in snow or frost. Nothing ever grew there. Only the strongest survived in the harsh conditions.

But, to those who did live there, the north was also a land full of magic and of love.

The people worked together. There were few living souls, and little resources, so they had to pull together and work hard to survive.

They were blessed for their goodwill, not with food or an easy life, but with the beautiful sights only they received, the main sight being the Northern Lights, a time when the sky would sing to them and them alone.

That is why the people of the North worshipped the sky; they believed that the goddess lived up there and that she was slim and fair (like them) but had slim wings, like an insect.

Their goddess looked like how the southerners believed the fairies looked.

And from there came the somewhat strange belief that the northern people themselves were fairies or elves, when they weren't. The northern peoples were humans, exactly the same as the southerners. The physical differences between the nations were superficial at best.

But none of the nations on either side were aware of how similar they really were, because no one had bothered to really find out.

The one exception, of course, was Halle, who was raised in the court of the Northern Kings, and had known King Mello growing up. At the age of fourteen she had travelled down to the south to work as a spy. She did nothing malicious, she was not sent to cause trouble or to sell any secrets. She simply was there to report on the happenings on the people so that the northern nations, small tribes, would never be caught unaware should the far more powerful southern tribes decide to attack.

In her time in the south, Halle had become the nursemaid to an infant princess. This princess was the opposite of what Halle had known before. Sayu was dark skinned, with black hair and inky dark eyes and Halle had instantly been entranced by her. Halle had been honest in her dedication of protecting and raising Sayu, and had been genuinely horrified when her darling girl had gone missing. Halle was Sayu's surrogate mother, older sister, best friend and teacher. Even though she had been an outsider, an immigrant to their land, she had cared more about their Princess than anyone else, including those who had been born there.

As they scrubbed away the brown dye and revealed her blonde hair, she wept bitter tears. She had never betrayed them, not really, but now she felt that they had betrayed her. She sent a quiet prayer to her fairy goddess and waited to hear her fate.

xxXXxx

Mello's castle was small and made of rock. He stood on one of his battlements and stared out towards the south. It was not snowing, but raining, meaning some of the snow would melt away (which was good and useful) but eventually the rain would freeze and the land would be covered in ice (which was decidedly not useful).

He could hear quiet tapping on the flagstones behind him, and recognised the steps.

"What is it, Near?" he said, without turning around.

His younger brother sidled up next to him and shivered. Near was prone to illness and did not do well in the cold. It was a weakness that Mello both sneered and at and worried about, the relationship between the brothers being a strange mix of competition, vexation, loyalty and love.

"There has been no word from Halle your informant," Near said in a monotone voice. "There is every reason to be concerned. The prejudice against our people is being whipped up in the south."

Mello narrowed his eyes, "they're all idiots down there. They should not blame us because they cannot keep members of their own house safe. Matt will go down to the southerners, and we shall try and come to an agreement."

"You will not go down also?"

"You know that I cannot," barked the blonde older brother, he glanced at his sibling, "you know that I am not as controlled as Matt. You just like to hear me say my shortcoming out loud."

"And you like to see mine," answered Near quickly.

They stopped bickering and stood close to one another, sharing each other's body heat.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," said Near, after a few minutes of silence. "Matt is a very good man and the southerners have not made war in generations. The family who rule down there are known for being intelligent and kind. The prejudice spreading amongst their people right now may merely be a knee jerk reaction, and when Matt goes down and talks to them, they may settle back down."

After a moment's thought he reached out and tapped his brother's arm with something like fondness before walking back in to the warm safety of the castle.

Matt himself was finishing off writing some records when Near tip tapped quietly into his room.

Matt grinned, he had never really had any feelings of dislike towards near, and really the only reason Mello gave him a hard time was because Near had the audacity to be more intelligent than Mello could ever hope to be.

The small dark eyed boy walked over to Matt's bed and sat down on the end of it without being asked. He twiddled a lock of white hair as he analysed the room he had seen a thousand times already.

"How are you prince Near?" Matt asked jovially enough, not too concerned whether he got an answer or not. Both Near and Mello were extremely weird individuals, sometimes they would both come and sit in his room, not speak at all, and then, in time, leave.

It took a few years but eventually Matt worked out that he seemed to be a calming force on the boys. They would come and sit in his room, listening to him scratching away at a piece of parchment with a quill, and relax in the low ambience and relative quiet.

Matt, for whatever reason, was their rock in a sea of complex emotions and high strung anxiety.

"I am concerned about your trip to the southlands," said the albino child.

Matt rolled up his parchment neatly and settled it into a tube, "I'll be fine," he answered, "King Soichiro has a reputation of being a decent character. I'm sure everything will be alright."

"I told Mello that all would be well, but I lied. The fairies and elves are frightened. They are hidden away. They say they know where the princess is, they say she is safe, that Halle had made sure of it."

Matt turned to face the small prince. "Have you been talking to them again?" he asked, his voice urgent and suddenly serious, "you have to be careful with those creatures, you know what they are like."

"They cannot trick me. They are frightened. They are trying to get the royal family of the south to see sense, but they are failing. They are saying that there is an impending doom."

Matt wanted to hug the boy and to sooth his fears, but he knew that Near was hyper sensitive and would not gain any comfort form a hug. So instead he asked, "what would you have us all do? Mello will go to war, you know he will. You cannot reason for us and neither can he, neither of you have the social graces that put the likes of the Yagami's at ease." He paused but Near did not answer, rather the boy stared obstinately at the wall. Matt sighed, feeling a bit of frustration, "Mello will act too rashly, and you would have us sit here and wait to be attacked. Trust me," he smiled at the white haired boy, "reasoning with them is the best way to go. We may even get Halle back safe and sound. I will leave tomorrow and be back within three days, maximum. I promise."

He gave Near a quick wink and bounded out of the room to go look for his king. Left alone Near quietly complained, "you shouldn't make promises you cannot definitely keep."

xxXXxx

That night Matt stayed in the King's chambers. Mello was fast asleep, face down in the warm furs and wool. The northerners did not have materials like silk and lace. Such materials would have been useless for them anyway there land being as cold as it was and they were not accustomed to comfort. Mello was shirtless, and Matt was trailing his hand up and down the pale man's spine. There had never been a time when they had not known one another. They had been born on the same day, and had been playmates from the start, their parents even allowing them to share the same cot at times.

Matt was a very different person to Mello and even from Near. Matt was calm and reasonable, he was also fond of music, laughter, loud noises, bright colours and excitement. Mello and Near shied away from such things. Matt enjoyed drinking too much and having sex. Near and Mello avoided alcohol at all costs, and Near could barely stand to be touched, never mind being intimate. Near was still a virgin, despite being old enough to be married. Mello was not so against sex, as their coupling tonight had proven, but he rarely wanted it and only did it with Matt.

Matt being Mello's favourite thing in the entire universe.

Matt cared very much for both of the brothers. He was aware that going into the south, when feelings were running high and people were stressed, was naturally dangerous, but he couldn't hang back and wait for them to be slaughtered. The northerners had a reputation of being brutal warriors, but nothing could have been further from the truth. They were only a collective of small tribes, run and organised by a temperamental child king (because Mello was in many senses, still really just a child.)

The southerners outnumbered them a hundred to one and so they could not take the risk of being invaded.

The red head pressed a kiss to the back of Mello's soft neck and pulled the covers up around them before snuggling up to his lover and relishing the precious time they would have left.

xxXXxx

The following dawn of the southlands was a deep shade of red. It's light spilt out on the snowy land, bathing it in the shade of blood.

Halle, nursemaid of the missing Princess Sayu was dragged out of her cell, her shamefully blonde hair left out for all to see, and taken to the place of public execution.

People crowded into the square in horror.

Halle's treachery had been spread like wildfire thanks to the gossip mongering of the guards under Takada's rule and the locals who hadn't enough to do with their lives.

Takada smirked, watching the people of her land gawping stupidly at the weeping fair headed woman. The letter Halle had been trying to send her King was full of nonsense, no better than a dull newspaper report. She had destroyed it in frustration and written her own version, mimicking Halle's handwriting and signature before handing it to the King.

'_**My Dear Alfar,'**_

It had read;

'_**The Princess has finally been disposed off. Our God, The Fairy King Freyr, will be most grateful at the sacrifice of the Princess.**_

_**The dark eyed fools will never know what has transpired, especially their foolish King and blind Princes.**_

_**I shall see you soon, My Alfar.**_

_**Praise to Freyr!'**_

It had been ridiculous to writer, and Takada had snickered a number of times thinking about the stupid things the northerners supposedly believed in.

Soichiro had been furious and demanded her to be locked up. The letter and her hiding of her blonde hair were proof enough that she was a liar. Soichiro had not granted her execution, but Takada knew that Light was due home any day now, after traversing about with his idiot soldiers (did he consider them friends now, why was he spending so much time with them?) and on arrival would no doubt try and convince everyone that Halle should not be killed.

The people were scared and angry. She had to strike while the iron was hot. So she had ordered the death of Halle to be this morning, she would come up with her excuses to the King later.

The drums began to play as the nursemaid, her face stony and resolute, was made to kneel and her head put on a block. Long blond hair was tied into a bun as to not interfere with the axe.

The crowd were silent.

The rumble of the drums suddenly stopped, and Halle clenched her eyes shut as the axe fell down upon her neck, severing it instantly and sparing her any prolonged pain.

The audience screamed and gasped and fell back as dark red blood spewed across the stage and onto their feet.

Takada smiled and sipped her wine.

As far as she was concerned, the whole nightmare was over. Sayu was gone; someone had been blamed, and now punished. Hopefully everyone now could get over it and move on. The Princes would be married, Mikami to Misa and she to Light (who no doubt would be betrothed to her by a grateful King and Queen) and her place would be secured.

Of course what she did not know was that a messenger from the north would arrive in a couple of hours, and that things were only going to get more complicated.

* * *

**A/N- Any predictions for the future? What do you all think of Takada and her scheming? And was everyone happy with the way Near was portrayed, there wasn't much Mello is this (I apologise to fans) but I hope I did Near and Matt some justice (I find them difficult to write because Matt is not seen very often in cannon, and it's very hard to get into Nears head.)**


	9. Emotional explosion

**Warnings- nothing explicit happens in this story (this isn't an 'M' rating) but this chapter is quite risque (imo) and so I would like to caution you all. Also, I am uping the rating to 'T' because this story is taking a dark turn.**

**I also want to warn ahead for the angst, character deaths and drama up ahead. Not all chapters will be like this, just the next few.**

**I'm hoping the next chapter will be out in less than a week (remember reviews encourage, *wink wink, nudge nudge*).**

**Also, thank you for the reviews so far. They make my day everytime. :)**

* * *

"I did not order her execution Takada!"

"I did everything with the country's best interests at heart sir," came a polite and well spoken reply from a female.

"She may have had information on Sayu's whereabouts..."

"With respect my Liege, I think that her letter lays to rest any confusion on Sayu's unfortunate disappearance."

Light followed their voices, quietly stepping into his father's drawing room. The King was pacing, looking angry and deeply upset, Takada stood watching him, as still and calm as deep waters trapped in a lake.

Both parties looked up at the prince.

"I have been visiting the soldiers who were searching for Sayu," Light said, "their troop included blond men. I have called off the search. I have encouraged Mido and Matsuda to return here, but I allowed Rester and Aiber, our fair headed and faithful men, to go into hiding elsewhere. I thought that would be wise, and evidently I was correct." He paused before allowing all his scathing hate drip into his voice, "so we are killing all fair headed people now, are we? I never knew I would see the day that my own father would allow the genocide of an entire group of people based on their skin tone and hair colour. It's embarrassing and unjust. How could you?"

"Stop exaggerating Light," chastised Soichiro, "only one woman has been executed and she was a traitor. Halle was working for the other side, for the elvin people." He threw the forged letter into Light's hands. Light read it quickly and glanced up at Takada, who kept her poise calm and steady, her face blank.

"This is a forgery," said Light, "the people of the north do not worship a god. They have a goddess, like us."

"And who told you this?" purred Takada, "your little elf friend? Let me guess, he is the one who you have also handed over our fair headed soldiers to."

Light frowned at her accusation and Soichiro gaped.

"You can't have Light, we cannot trust them!" the king cried aghast.

"I cannot trust you!" yelled Light whirling upon his father in an unusual display of passion, "you have betrayed me! I never knew you would be so easily duped. You and Mikami, I loved you both and now you both turn into monsters before my very eyes! I can't stand it!"

The Prince all but ran out of the room, telling himself off for letting his true feelings show themselves. Light liked to portray himself as ever calm and ever reasonable, but recent events were becoming too much for even him, and to come home to find his servants cleaning up the blood of a woman he had known since childhood...it was disturbing.

He entered his bedroom and locked the door breathing heavily. He loosened his clothing before finally deciding to strip it off all together. He then lay down on his back and concentrated on breathing and relaxing. It felt obscene, wearing no clothes, as if he were breaking a huge taboo, even though he was only with himself and his bedroom door was locked. He wasn't even doing anything, just lying there. He had done many bad things in his past, his lurid affair with Takada being just one, but this actually made him squirm a little. Nonetheless he was determined to do it, just to feel what it was like to be himself, just himself, without the clothes or the false politeness, or the faux personality; just himself, naturally, in the quiet and peacefulness.

He thought about the one who had made him want to do this. He thought about the enigma that called itself L.

xxXXxx

"Elf," Light had called through the trees yesterday evening. He had finished his conversation with Aiber and Rester, in which he had convinced the men to not return to the Castle, but rather to do some damage control to the reputation of fair-headed people in their province. After they had returned to the campfire to tell the young brunets of their plans, Light had gone further into the woods, calling for L.

"Elf! Where are you? I need your help, it is important!"

The air grew cold, and a slight breeze picked up some of the dead, decaying leaves from off the ground and flew them around Light, making it look as if they were dancing around him. Light didn't like it, the dance seemed eerie and strange. Light did not like the woods, or the wilderness. He did not like mess and darkness and strangeness.

Suddenly L leapt down in front of him and stood right in his face.

"I'M HERE!" He screamed, making Light stumble back and fall ungracefully onto his backside.

He grunted at the mud he was now covered in, he **hated** being dirty.

"Why did you do that?" he yelled at L. "Look at what you did!"

L cocked his head onto one side, "I have no idea what you're on about," he responded quietly, before sitting down in the mud himself, as if it were no big deal.

Light noticed that the small flap over his genitalia looked dangerously revealing. He felt his face growing hot. e had never seen the private area of any man other than himself. He and his brother had never done things like shared a bath when they were children. The Royal family were very reserved people in that sense.

"Why don't you wear ordinary clothes?" He asked, gesturing at the thong and feeling stupidly embarrassed.

"Oh, normally I wear nothing," L glanced at the flap and then back up to Light, smiling softly, "I wear this because I know it makes you more comfortable."

"It doesn't!" the Prince bit out, feeling cross because he hated the fact that this creature could put him in an awkward situation so easily. "It would be better for you to wear proper clothing or nothing at all!"

"Really?" L promptly flung away the thong, it snapping off his hips with insidious ease. Light gaped and L sighed happily. "If I had known you were not as repressed as your fellowmen, I would have been naked the entire time! Now let's get down to business."

L suddenly looked straight faced and serious as he settled back down onto the ground, looking Light in the eye. "First of all, the name that you call me is L. I don't want to be called anything else, not elf, fairy, aesir, fai, brownie or anything like that. Just L."

"Just L, as in the letter?" retorted Light incredulously. He had been stunned into silence by L's nakedity, but then was determined to no let it bother him, however his eye kept straying downwards...he couldn't help it. "That's stupid," he continued, "why would you call yourself a letter?"

"Because it's my favourite one out of the alphabet," answered L reasonably, "why would you allow yourself to be named after Light? It's stupider than mine and sounds pretentious and arrogant to boot."

"My parents named me!" Light felt himself blushing under the accusations. He had been called arrogant and even pretentious before, mainly by angry scorned lovers. But having a scrawny, pale on human calling him names infuriated him. He also felt ashamed, for the first time in his life. He realised, even as he argued back, that he did not want the...fairy, elf, whatever...to look down on him.

'_Maybe it's because L really _does_ look down on me,' _he thought to himself, _'all the others pretend they do, and call me names, but really I know they love and adore me, and at worst are merely jealous of my beauty and skill and intelligence. I could just laugh at their envy and spite. But this creature, he really is unimpressed with me."_ He looked at L, who was naked and staring blankly back, and suddenly felt his stomach lowering as shame curdled within it.

"That's still your own fault," answered L, scratching the tip of his nose nonchalantly, "I never let anyone dictate things to me, especially in regards to myself, such as my name. You must be very weak willed Light, how sad."

"I am not weak willed, how dare you talk to me in uh a way I-" Light paused, realising he was reacting exactly how l wanted him to. He realised he was being mocked and was simply feeding the mocker what he wanted. L saw him as a smug, self satisfied Prince with repressed prejudice, and he wanted to draw that out of Light. He wanted to reveal Light as a monster, as a terrible human being.

Well Light wouldn't give him what he wanted! Light was a good person, and he would prove it to! Somehow...

He sighed and rested his head in his hand. "I've never met anyone like you, L." he finished, his words sincere.

"Is that why you won't stop looking at my penis?"

"W-what?" Light looked up again, shock reverberating down his body.

L stood up and started to rock his hips from side to side as he spoke, making _it_ swing to and fro. Light wanted to die.

"It's nothing special Light, just genitalia; I don't understand why you are so drawn to it. You realise you have one of your own don't you?" Suddenly L stopped rocking and stared at Light in such a strange way that the Prince began to frown in return. "You DO have one don't you Light?" asked the stupid elf in an awestruck voice, "or have I not understood something about you?"

Light stood up, his temper flaring, "I am male and yes I have the same anatomy as you-!"

"The same _looking_ anatomy," chuckled L, interrupting Light's diatribe, "can't technically have the same one...or we'd be like one person...or Siamese twins..."

"- but that is beside the point! I need you to take all of this more seriously," Light was carrying on over L's amused musings, deciding to bring the conversation back to what it was meant to be about. "People are in _danger_! The blondes are on the brink of persecution and I have lost confidence in my father's rationality. I need my sister back!"

"I can't get her back," said L, sensible once again, "I have no jurisdictions over the one who has her, I can only tell you that she is unharmed and will remain that way. It isn't our fault that your people are weak minded, prejudiced and cowardly. They _want_ to fight, Prince, they _want_ to do this. They think it will make them feel better. But it won't and people will die." L's eyes were dark and blank as he reeled off his opinion of Light's people and humans in general. Lght felt himself gulping and staring determinedly back into those dark, hypnotic pools. He wanted to argue back at L, he wanted to tell L he was wrong, but he knew there was truth in the Elf's words. The least he could do was look L in the eye while he indirectly chastised and humiliated the Prince.

" You have to ride the storm, because it is already too late to stop them." L continued, his voice becoming even lower and even softer. It made Light shudder slightly, as if light trails of electric were tingling up and down his body and making hairs stand on end. Was this some sort of spell?

"Deep down, everyone knows that the idea that all fair-headed people are really forest magicians is absurd, but they don't care. It makes them feel better about themselves to feel superior over other people. Had this been a land of blondes, you would have abused dark haired or dark skinned people. It's part of human nature to pretend that your slight differences actually matter. You have only ever been one race, the human race, but you pretend otherwise because you like to complicate your own lives; categorising everything and everyone even though there is no need. The first time you saw me you asked me what I was. I am L. That is all."

Light sighed, letting go of a breath he never knew he was holding. His body relaxed, he felt happy that L had stopped talking, but now his body felt warm and fuzzy from the strange tingling feeling L gave him.

Light knew he couldn't explain what l had said to his frightened parents, or the gossiping masses, or the angry guards back in the castle. "Can you please protect some people?" he asked at length, his voice resigned and startlingly humble (even L blinked in surprise) because he knew L would respond to that type of behaviour better than his more natural, domineering one.

"I can take in a few people." L offered, "tell the fair-headed to retreat to the forests, we will protect them as best we can. But we can't save those outside of the woods."

Light nodded, "thank you. As long as some can be saved from the carnage that is better than nothing. I have the guards out here on my side, and they will spread the message for me."

"What about you Prince? Where will you go?" Was there a hint of caring in that monotone voice?

Light grit his teeth. "Back home, to my father. Matsuda and Mido and all the other innocents are going to have to deal with this new age of prejudice and fear, so I shall go back and face it with them. Maybe I can prevent my father from doing anything too crazed. Surely...surely this will soon pass, especially when Sayu eventually returns from wherever she is. I just have to, as you say, ride the storm until then."

L nodded and smiled softly, "don't get killed before your time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just a saying we have out here."

"Oh...I see."

L then walked into Light's personal space once again, looking deeply into his eyes. "And don't forget, you are...you are welcome out here...should you ever need it."

Unconventionally L pressed his lips against Light's head in a kiss, and then vanished.

Light stood there for a long time, breathing hard and feeling his forehead tingling.

xxXXxx

Lying on his bed, naked as they day he was born, Light softly touched that area on his forehead, the old tingling returning as he replayed the memory of it over and over again.

'Am I under some sort of spell?' he wondered, 'I feel as if I am...though I've never been under a spell before, I thought that this is what it would feel like.'

His body felt hot, as if he were suffering a fever, but it was not uncomfortable, it was happy and he almost felt giddy. The thought of L and his low voice and soft smile and hard won respect made Light feel happy, even though everything around him was falling apart.

xxXXxx

While Light was upstairs, down in the Great Hall, the King and Queen were summoned.

"What is going on?" Soichiro asked, looking at the pale, frightened Takada. She looked ill.

In front of her were many townsfolk, judging by their rough clothing.

"We come from the outskirts sir," said one man, who was in slightly finer clothing from the rest and a gold medallion showing that he was a mayor of one of the towns.

"We come from one of the northern villages. This morning, these elves trespassed into our land!"

Sachiko gasped and Takada walked retreated further into a shadowy corner, a confused frown on her face.

"We managed to capture and kill most of them," the mayor continued, " they are strange on the outside, but they bleed like normal men. However, we kept their leader."

A red head boy was thrown forward. He was bloodied and bruised. He coughed and some blood came up.

"Who are you?" asked Soichiro, "why are you here elf? And where is my daughter."

"My name is Matt," responded the boy, looking up at Soichiro, "and I am a man, not an elf. My men were murdered unlawfully! We came in peace! We didn't even have any weaponry on us!"

"That's not true!" cried the mayor.

"Yes it is," Matt retorted with disgust in his voice, "unless you find parchment and ink dangerous! We came in peace, we simply wanted to talk to you."

"I am sorry," said Soichiro, believing that Matt was a man, for despite his odd hair, fair skin and wild eyes, he did seem human overall. Perhaps also, Light's admonishments were still burning in his mind. Around him, the people clearly disbelieved and looked in astonishment as their king helped the boy up.

The Queen Sachiko stepped back, as if Matt could go feral and attack at any moment.

"Sir," began the king, "please, tell us, who sent you?"

"My Leader," answered Matt conversationally, "the Aesir."

There was a unified gasp and a scream from Sachiko.

The King's face darkened, "the Aesir?" He repeated.

Matt nodded slowly, not understanding what he had said or done that was so alarming.

"Kill him." ordered the King.

Matt was dragged away, crying out for them to see reason, to let him speak... but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Outside, the servants were ordered to begin building a pyre.

* * *

**A.N.- How do you all feel about Light's parents right now? I never liked them too much in the original canon, but I realise I've made them quite bad in this story. Soichiro is not coping with the loss of his daughter and as L explained, when people can't cope, they like to lay the blame somewhere.**

**Is anyone to blame, do you think, in this situation?**

**Also, I hope this isn't too dark and putting people off.**

**Let me know your thoughts, please :)**


	10. The pyre

**A/N- I apologise for the wait for the chapter. I've been unwell recently, and am still under the weather. Anyway, this chapter is longer than usual. The next two chapters are going to be pretty angsty and intense. However, once the worst is over we'll start returning to a lighter tone.**

**Warning- character death.**

* * *

"It feels weird, being back here," Matsuda said, taking a deep gulp of ale.

He and Mido were in a pub located in the small town just outside of the castle. Together, they sat in a shadowy corner booth, out of everyone's way, with a glass of ale and a small steak pie each. Prince Light had given them the money, as extra wages for the additional work they had been doing over the last few weeks.

"I mean, being around so many people," continued Matsuda, "and it being so noisy. And warm. And us being without Rester and..."

He let the sentence trail off, and Mido cast him a look.

"I know you miss Aiber," he replied after a moments silence, "you two were together a lot. I know you nearly always shared the same tent, even though you both had your own individual ones."

Matsuda nodded, "he was like my mentor. I just...liked being around him." He looked at Mido, who was drinking deeply and watching him over his glass. "I've never really been liked, not the way you guys like me. I suppose you were all my first friends. I never realised before how alone I was...or that the villagers I grew up with never really liked being around me too much."

Mido put down his glass heavily and licked the froth off his lips. "It's because you're an idiot and as excitable as a puppy," he responded good naturedly. "I bet you were an awful farmhand. Lucky for you, you don't have to be too smart in this job, you just have to follow orders and be a good boy. Well, follow the orders of the right person, of course. And on that note, a toast to Prince Light?"

Matsuda nodded and they raised their glasses to the Prince's health, a sharp clink as the glasses were tapped together.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" whispered Matsuda, "Aiber and Rester, I mean."

Mido nodded and whispered even more quietly than Matsuda, "I don't think the..._alfar_...have much to gain from not being allied with friendly humans. But we need to keep quiet, Matsuda, no shouting your mouth off. I don't like the mood since we've returned."

Matsuda nodded, understanding what Mido meant. They had heard of the execution of Halle on arrival thanks to the loud conversation between two gossips in the town square. It had been then that they decided to go to the pub, whilst Light had gone straight to his father. Light had wanted to know immediately what was going on, whereas they wanted to avoid the situation for as long as possible.

"I hope no one else gets hurt," muttered Matsuda, looking at his pie but no longer feeling hungry. "I couldn't bear it if this situation keeps going. What if innocents are harmed?"

Mido looked up at him, chewing carefully, but didn't bother responding. Mido was fairly certain things would get worse rather than better, unless Light managed to persuade his father that blonds weren't evil or a menace.

'_Still_,' he thought to himself, '_I would rather be on Light's side than anyone else. If things do go bad or the blonds, they will, in time, go bad for the king as well. There's no way you can ethnically cleanse a nation without some sort of payback from the injured parties. And if he attacks the real elves and fairies we will be doomed. I want to be on the winner's side.'_

He smiled unconvincingly at Matsuda, who looked highly anxious with his puppy eyes looking much sadder and much wider than usual, and leaned forward to ruffle the dark eyed man's hair, earning himself a sweet smile.

'_At least I still have Matsuda with me,' _he thought, _'as long as he keeps his stupid mouth shut!'_

xxXXxx

"I will not let you do this! It's ridiculous, how many are going to be killed before you are satisfied?"

"It is too late Light."

"Shut up Takada, I think we've had enough of your input, don't you?"

Takada had the decency to blush as she stepped back, standing next to an anxious looking Mogi. Ukita and Higuchi watched the argument from their positions at the door.

Soichiro was not so demure, as what he saw was his son simply having a tantrum.

"Do not speak to my Advisor in that manner," he admonished, "she has been more useful than you in trying to find Sayu. You and your friends were running around the country, talking to elves, when really we needed you here, dealing with the traitors within our walls!"

"The traitor is you father," Light bit back quickly, "the people we are hurting will be our own. How many blondes and fair skinned people were born here, or have dark haired parents? And now this man, you will kill him for the sake of him having red hair?"

"He is a stranger, sent by the elves..."

"No he isn't, he's just from another country!"

"He will get us all killed, just like poor Sayu!

"She isn't dead, the elf told me so, and he is an innocent in all of this. You can't kill him!"

There was a terrible pause as Soichiro, looking increasingly deranged, looked at his son, "the elf told you so," he repeated slowly, "so you really have been fooling around with elves. You believe the elf, over your own family?"

"What choice do I have?" asked Light, "as irritating as he is, and as contrary to my own behaviour and despite his lack of manners or etiquette, he still makes more sense than you do. Do you know that the elf I talked to has got hair and eyes darker than my own? That's how flawed your thinking is, how prejudiced you have become! You are blinded by hate father, and it will kill us all."

"No," said Soichiro slowly, as if under a great strain, "you are under a spell, that is clear to me now. Higuchi! Ukita!" The two guards came forward, "take Light and lock him in one of the prison cells."

"What?" Light felt the blood drain from his face.

Soichiro looked resigned. "It will only be for a short time." He said, "you are too clever and will escape if I lock you in your room, we know that after you ran off to join Mogi and his men. You will stay in the cell for now, at least until the fairy is annihilated and the land is purified. I am sorry Light."

He motioned to his men, and Higuchi and Ukita took Light away, the Prince shouting, "purified the land? What does that mean? Are you really going to kill every-?"

His last part of the word was blocked out as the doors slammed shut.

Soichiro turned to Mogi. "We have to round up all the fair headed people of the land. I want them killed. Do it humanely, but make sure all of them are gone. We cannot rest until the land is clean of the fairy and elf threat."

Mogi's jaw tightened, but he nodded to his Liege and made his way down to where his men trained and lived to tell them of their new task.

xxXXxx

Mogi entered into the wooden barracks were his men were assembled. They knew he had been ordered to the castle, and had waited in the building ready for orders. Matsuda and Mido were unpacked.

Mogi looked at them.

Both of them looked much older. Their hair had grown into shaggy locks just brushing their shoulders; their eyes were clearer and sharper, constantly on the look-out for danger; their skin was rough and blemished. They now looked more like seasoned soldiers instead of two young boys. Matsuda had changed the most, becoming quieter and more careful, though no less eager and excitable.

'_In a few years time, they may be fine soldiers,'_ he decided, '_much better than some of the lazy men I have under my control right now.'_

He felt sorry over the loss of Rester and Aiber too. They had been good soldiers and extremely loyal, no matter how they looked. '_Then again_,' he thought_, 'no one would have guessed that Halle was an informant.'_ He had been saddened when only two of his boys returned from the wilderness, but unsurprised. It made sense that Rester and Aiber would have gone into hiding, feelings towards blonds were taking a very nasty turn in the Kingdom, and despite the Kings recent orders, he had heard through rumour and gossip that several paranoid villages had started dishing out 'justice' to any potential witch, elf or fairy in their locality. People had been disappearing or killed for weeks now, just after the Princess's disappearance.

"Alright men," he called out, "line up. We have some instructions from the King himself. We are to round up all the people in the kingdom who have fair hair and pale skin. We are to execute anyone who has enough evidence against them that they are associated with the fairies and elves."

"Is that why Rester and Aiber are gone?" sneered one guard, a friend of Higuchi's. "They were always going on about their magical ancestors. We all knew they were witches really."

He looked around a few men nodded and grunted in agreement. Mido and Matsuda stood closer together, brows furrowed and bodies tense.

"Don't say anything," whispered Mido, leaning close to Matsuda. "It's what they want."

"With respect Captain," Aizawa stood forward, a concerned look on his face, "I came into this job to protect the Royal family. I never signed up for murdering my own people."

"But they're not our own people," cried Ide, his eyes wide, "that's the point! They never were our own people!"

Aizawa folded his arms stubbornly, "I do not believe that either Rester or Aiber, who have worked side by side with for the last decade, are traitors."

Matsuda allowed himself a small smile, respecting the older man a lot for being brave enough to speak out. He wanted to say something himself, but Mido was gripping his shirt, wordlessly warning him to stay silent. Mido was smarter than Matsuda, so the latter did as he was told.

"No one thought Halle would betray us," said Mogi, repeating his earlier thoughts. "This is to protect the royal family. Evidence has been bought forward that the fairies do have her and are keeping her captive in the wilderness somewhere. Therefore they started the attack. We know that fairies are fair headed, that has been fact for years. Fair headed people themselves have never denied it. Plus, we will only execute those who we are certain are witches."

"This seems like a load of paranoid nonsense based off sweeping generalisations," muttered Aizawa rebelliously.

"I would stop all that talk," said Higuchi, arriving in the barracks with Ukita at his side. "It sounds like treachery." He turned and looked up to Mogi, "we have the Prince safely locked up Sir."

"'Prince'?" cried Matsuda, suddenly forgetting his silence, "you locked him up? Which one and why?"

Higuchi gave a nasty smirk, "Prince Light, of course. Prince Mikami is a good man. Prince Light decided to mouth off against the King, his own father, and has betrayed us all by cavorting with elves, whilst apparently out with you men."

The others began to shift nervously, looking and Mido and Matsuda suspiciously.

"So the King ordered him to be locked away," finished Higuchi, "along with the Elf we'll be burning later."

Matsuda clenched his teeth and fists, trying to keep calm. He could hear Mido telling him to stay quiet, the grip on his short much tighter now, and he could feel his body beginning to shake with adrenaline.

"That's enough Higuchi," said Mogi, "we all follow the rules set out by the monarchy. Anything against it will be considered treachery. This is the way it is men. Now pack up your things. We move out tonight, after the execution of the red-head elf."

xxXXxx

Light had dragged below and thrown into a cell, Higuchi giving him a satisfied smirk before slamming the door and locking it. Ukita had had enough grace to not look at the fallen prince at all.

Light sniffed slightly and curled up, resting his head on his knees and hugging his arms around his legs. He couldn't believe this was actually happening! His own father had turned against him and his mother had done nothing. It wasn't too much of a stretch to imagine that is brother was probably gallivanting off somewhere with Misa, the one blonde that everyone had quietly decided to let live because they knew her personally and thought she was cute.

It was disgusting, the whole situation was disgusting.

He kicked out and hit the bars of his jail viciously, causing a voice of another man he didn't recognise to call out in the darkness.

"Hey, am I not down here alone?"

Light crawled to the front of his cage and peered out. A little to his left, in one of the cells opposite, a young man with red hair could just about be seen, he too was looking out.

Light let out a breath, "are the one who came here? The one they think is a fairy?"

"Yes," matt let out a small laugh, though it really wasn't funny. "They kept calling me 'elf' and 'trickster' and 'fairy-spawn' as they dragged me down into this place. I never thought this would be the way I would die, mistaken for a fairy, my goddess. Though I am sure Near will not be surprised." He sighed and Light could just make out a 'poor Near' from the boy.

"Who is Near?"

"Oh, the younger brother of the Alfar, a member of the Aesir. I don't know how to say it in your tongue."

"You mean, the Alfar is a King right?"

"Hm, yes, he rules the land and has titles such as King and Liege, though Alfar is his official title."

Light let out a sardonic laugh. "My people are ignorant. Over here Alfar and Aesir means fairy. And anything to do with fairies or elves or anything non human and supernatural, generally means trouble."

"We have heard of your troubles in my land. We were worried that you might attack. That's why I was sent down, I was meant to make some sort of headway with your people, get us to become allies, maybe even friends."

"I'm sorry that it has turned out this way."

"I am partially to blame. I was warned not to go down. My Alfar was willing to make war should your people invade our land. We knew that there were rumours of us being a nation of fairies, and we knew that there were growing tensions down here. I shouldn't have tried to reason with people that I knew were unreasonable."

"You knew because of the spy Halle, correct?"

There was a pause.

"Yes," answered Matt reluctantly, "but it was never to tell us how to attack you, that was furthest from our mind. We just needed to know what others were planning and saying, it was a safety precaution."

"She was caught and killed yesterday, I am so sorry." Light leant his head against the bars as Matt sighed.

"I thought that had happened...oh goddess poor Halle...she loved you nation and your Princess. It was genuine."

"I believe you." Light thought of Halle. She had been around from the day Sayu was born. He had seen her every day of his childhood. She was always there, sneaking him and his brother and sister sweeties, bathing them, wiping their brows when they were ill, making them soup, tucking them in at night. She had only been a girl herself when she started out as Sayu's nursemaid, no older than thirteen he was certain. But she had a wisdom about her that exceeded her age, and being young meant that she was vibrant and fun and active.

Light was surprised when a tear trailed down his cheek. He missed her. He had never really appreciated her when she was there, and as he grew older she became just one of the servants, just another person who he liked well enough, but privately thought was something of an idiot and not worthy of his time.

But then he had come home to find her blood being cleaned off the streets. She'd be murdered, horribly, by the people she loved. And before then he had essentially ignored her, she and Sayu being trapped and isolated together. Would it have been so much for him to have paid them both some more attention? To listen to them one in a while? Did L know of his unwitting cruelty, was that why L was so unimpressed by him?

"Are you alright, sir?" the voice of Matt floated through the darkness.

"Yes," Light coughed, embarrassed by how tight and high his voice had just sounded. "Yes, thank you I'm fine. Ahem. I just...I miss Halle...I'm sorry it happened. I don't care that she was a spy. She loved me and my brother and my sister very much. I know she did."

"There was a conflict of interest but...wait...your sister! Are you-?"

"Yes, I am a Prince...a member of this land's 'Aesir'. I am Light."

"Why are you down here?"

"I disagree with what is happening. The elves and fairies are not to blame, and your people have been unfairly dragged into this nonsense. Everything is a mess but no one is seeing reason."

"It must be very hard. I am sorry for you. They...they will not execute you as well, will they?"

Light blinked and thought for a moment, "I don't think so," he answered honestly, "but I cannot say anything for certain anymore." He suddenly felt his misery welling up once more as he thought about the fate of the young man he was speaking to. "I am the one who should be saying sorry, Matt. I cannot believe the actions of my own people. Please Matt, if there is anything I can do for you!"

"There is," was a quiet reply, "if you survive could you...could you please tell Mello, my King, how much I loved him? That I loved him more than anything or anyone else in the entire world? My only wish is for him to be kinder to his brother Near. Could you tell him...that I will be waiting for him, in the Afterlife? Please?"

"Of course," said Light, feeling ashamed and heart-broken, "I shall relay how much you love him, somehow I will let him know. I swear it. I shall also tell him that you are one of the purest, loyalist and bravest souls I have ever had the pleasure to meet sir."

Light could sense Matt's self deprecating smile, "thank you," he whispered.

xxXXxx

Mido and Matsuda stood on the outer walls surrounding the Castle grounds, keeping an eye on all the people who were pouring in from nearest villages and local town, to watch the execution of the young stranger.

"We can't keep silent about this," whispered Matsuda to Mido, watching the finishing touches being added to the pyre in the corner of his eye. "My goddess, we're going to kill a man!"

"I don't know what to do," Mido whispered back, biting his thumb nail anxiously, "I just don't _know_. I don't want to be part of this any more than you do. I don't want to be party to murder and I definitely don't want to go against the elves and fairies!"

"Maybe we can call the elf, get him to save the stranger?"

"How? Only the Prince has ever seen it. Plus, if we're caught then we'd be killed as well. They already suspect us." He smiled briefly at one of the guards, who walked past eyeing them cautiously.

Matsuda didn't bother smiling at the man. He didn't care, he was too worried about the foreigner they were going to kill.

"I will go and try to call him alone," Matsuda decided.

"No Matsu! Don't do anything!"

"But I can't just let this happen!"

"You'll be caught and killed."

"At least I can die knowing I tried..."

Mido sighed and turned to Matsuda, tears in his eyes. Matsuda blinked in shock, Mido was never really the emotional type.

"Look," said Mido, dropping the whisper but talking in a low voice, "Aiber was always your favourite person, but you're _my_ favourite person! I don't want you hurt. Please, we can't help this man... we can't keep him alive. I'm sorry, but we'll have to simply pay penance in the future. I won't let you get hurt Matsu." He gripped Matsuda forearm tightly before letting go and turning away, feeling embarrassed.

There was a brief silence.

"Alright," said Matsuda at last, "I won't do anything dangerous. But what can we do?"

Mido gulped, "we can make his death less...painful."

xxXXxx

Matt was dragged out of his cell and marched through the dark cellar, he offered the Prince a brief smile as he passed. Light offered a small one in return, though Matt could see pain and regret in the young man's eyes.

'_Don't worry,_' he thought, _'I don't blame you Light. I hope Mello doesn't either.'_

He looked at his captors. "You guys are going to regret killing me," he said confidently. "My Alfar," he purposely used the word they misunderstood and grinned at their unified wince on hearing it, "he's going to destroy this land for what you are about to do."

They led him into a public square. Many people, most poor villages, and a few gentleman, stood as an audience to a pyre.

'_I'm to be burned to death,_' he thought, his heart sinking, '_do they have to kill me in such a painful manner?_'

However, he refused to let his sadness show, and so put on a blank facial expression as he was tied to the pole. Then men moved away, one of them spitting at him before leaving him in peace. Matt did not react.

Then two young men, little more than boy's really, came to him.

One of them, a handsome one with light brown hair, began to read off his 'crimes.' The darker one with large eyes appeared to be checking that he was tied tight enough.

"This being is charged with being an evil elf, a fairy and a witch. He shall be burned alive."

The audience cheered and clapped, and few people nodding righteously.

Matt noticed then that the dark haired boy was slyly adding small bags to his ropes and to the wooden planks below.

"It's gun powder," the boy whispered, his mouth barely moving. The boy looked at Matt. "I'm so sorry this is happening sir, I wish I could save you," he said.

Matt smiled softly.

"It's alright," he said to the stranger, "you're king has gone mad. Thank you for this."

The boy shrugged as if to say, 'it's nothing much'.

Then the two boys both lifted a flaming torch each and set the pyre Matt was on alight.

The audience watched in shock as, instead of taking hours to slowly burn away, the pyre burst into flames, immediately killing the man on top of the pyre. Some of them felt a bit put out, they had hoped for screams and begging for mercy.

Mido and Matsuda walked away quickly.

"We did our best for him," whispered Mido, though Matsuda looked traumatised.

Feeling eyes burning into his back, Mido turned to see Higuchi and Mogi, standing on a platform with the King between them, all staring down at him and Matsuda.

He gulped, praying they wouldn't guess he and Matsuda had rigged the pyre out of mercy.

King Soichiro stood with Higuchi, Mogi, Ukita, Takada, his son Mikami and Princess Misa watching the pyre burning furiously.

"It should not have gone up that fast," Higuchi whispered to Mogi. "We put green wood on the pyre to purposely slow things down."

Mogi told him to shut up, causing Higuchi to frown but shut his mouth.

Mogi let out a quiet sigh. He had never been fond of Higuchi, but recent events were making him hate he man. He had never known Higuchi, or many of his other men, could be so vicious. He looked at his King, only to see Soichiro staring off into the crowds. Mogi followed his gaze and settled on Mido and Matsuda, Mido casting them a frightened and knowing glance.

Mogi gulped, the two boys were closely aligned to Light, considering the amount of time the disgraced prince had spent with them. If the king suspected them of treachery, they would not be so lucky to spend time in a dungeon, they'd be tortured and killed in the same way the red-headed fairy was.

"Majesty," he whispered to Soichiro, out of ear shot from the others, "maybe the elves had sped up the young man's death. Maybe they are more powerful than we think." He hoped to make his Liege have second thoughts on starting a war against the magical creatures; Mogi himself was certain that they would lose against magical witches and elves of whom they knew nothing about, and was even more concerned that they were attacking the wrong people entirely.

"I want those two boys," answered the king, his voice sounding reflective, "put on the front lines when we go to attack the Aesir of the north. That is an order."

Mogi gulped, "yes sir."

He guessed he wouldn't get to see either Matsuda or Mido grow up now.

xxXXxx

"Prince Light," a little voice squeaked in a sing-song, "are you do-own here?"

Light rolled his eyes. Great, Princess Misa, that's all he needed.

"Yes, I'm here," he answered, adding an 'obviously' in his head.

Misa appeared at his cell, beaming like the idiot she was.

"Oh Light, I'm so glad to see you!"

"As you Princess," he purposely added the title to prove a point, what right did she have to call him solely by is first names, as if they were friends?

"It's terrible," she continued obliviously, tears suddenly welling in her eyes, "the poor boy they killed out there. Are you sure he's a fairy or an elf?"

"Well clearly not, that's why I'm down here." Light let out a frustrated sigh. "Please, Princess Misa, go away, go back to Mikami, I don't want anyone with me right now."

"I agree with you Light, it is lunacy to say all fair headed people are magical, I mean," Light looked at her in surprise and noticed she was brushing her own blonde locks, "look at me. I'm blonde. And I wish to marry a Prince of this land. The people will never accept me and Princess or Queen if they believe all blondes are evil."

Light was appalled at her lack of empathy or morals, but was jubilant that he had at least one other ally.

"What are they doing now?" he asked.

"The guards are all getting ready to leave. They have to get new soldiers to join, and are going to, erm...cleanse the land?" she said the statement as if it were a question, giving him a quizzical look.

'_She cannot be serious,'_ Light mused_, 'this has to be an act, no-one is this dumb. Still...'_

"Alright Misa," he smiled as she grinned at his using her first name without the title, "I need you to convince my brother to come down here. I want to let my family know that I've changed my mind and agree with them completely. Do you understand?"

"Ye-es," she said slowly, "but I thought you didn't think fair headed people were evil?"

"I don't." He winked at her, "it's a trick. I'm going to try and save who I can whilst pretending to be on my father's side. It'll be our secret, alright Misa, would you like that?"

"Yes, Light, I would!"

"Good, quickly go now!"

Misa skipped away and Light sat down, pondering the situation. His only two allies, Mido and Matsuda, were both young and silly, and no doubt would be shifted off to this ridiculous mass murder. There was little he could do to protect them, but if he could get out of the cell, he would be able to use his position to make things easier for them, or to at least make sure they hadn't done or would do anything, to cast doubt on their loyalty to his father the king.

He would not be able to stop a war, not now that they had killed a peaceful ambassador. No doubt the King of the North would view Matt's death as an attack. Even worse was that this war would be personal; his father believing the Alfar has kidnapped Sayu, and the Alfar having been, evidently, close friends with Matt; now neither side would now listen to reason and neither side would put down arms

There was only one thing that could be done, and it would require a great level of treachery. Light would have to kill Soichiro and become King himself. It was the only way to stop the war; he had to kill its instigator.

Light put his head into his hands and tried not to cry.

'_I have to do this,'_ he thought_, 'in the name of justice. It's for the greater good. I cannot allow hundreds, maybe even thousands to die all because I love my father too much.'_

Mido and Matsuda, providing they didn't get themselves killed, would be his eyes and ears on the war front, Aiber and Rester would be his emissaries to the fairies and elves (the real ones) and he himself would have to make sure that all evil in the top ranks was killed off, even if that meant bowing and scraping for a short while to two women whom he despised. Misa was a good ally because she was blonde and foreign, but well-liked by his people. When his time came to take over the kingship, she would be a good advertisement against the 'anti-elf' feelings his people now had. Likewise, he would have to marry Takada. She was politically savvy and very powerful. By marrying his status and rightful king would be set. Mikami could marry Misa if he wanted, Light would give her up to him whether she liked it or not, as soon as her purpose was served.

That way everyone would be happy.

Mikami would have his silly bint of a wife, Takada would have him, the people would have a sensible king who will not turn on them for something as stupid as hair colour and the reputation of the elves and fairies would be cleared.

So why didn't he feel happy?

* * *

**A/N. So what did you all think? Any predictions for the next chapter? Any characters you want to see more of? Any issues with the way the characters have been portrayed (I have hammed up Misa's stupidity, but for a reason, which will come to light later)? What do you all think of Light's plan? Happy, sad? **


	11. Salem

**Warning- angst, murder and accusations. Also, lot's of dialogue.**

* * *

The air was still hot with the flames of Matt's pyre as the Royal Guard now soldiers packed to leave. They would be travelling out across the land, pouring out justice and cleansing the land. Or so that's what the King said.

"Are you crying Matsuda?" sneered Higuchi, peering down at the boy. His cronies laughed as Matsuda scowled up at them, his eyes wet. "Crying over the elf are we?" Higuchi continued, "You'll be killed for your treachery."

"Not a traitor," Matsuda bit back, immediately regretting how childish he sounded, "The smoke got into my eyes, that's all. Unlike you I was right there when the flames went up."

"Went up fast, didn't they?" Higuchi was quick to answer. He walked up to Matsuda, getting into his face. "Quite suspicious, actually, he should have never burned that rapidly! Put a bit of gun powder on there, did you? You and your little friend Mido?"

Matsuda managed to look Higuchi in the eye without blinking, despite how much they burned. His adrenaline was kicking around his body. Matsuda may not have been clever or even very sensible, but he was a brave man, braver than the likes of Higuchi.

"It was probably the fairy magic," he whispered, Higuchi gulping at the young man's dark gaze. "I'd be careful if I were you. I'm no elf, clearly being so dark-skinned and dark-haired, and I have no elf friends, but that boy we just burned must have done, if he really was one of their own. Maybe they can make anyone go up in flames, even you."

Higuchi tried to let out a laugh as he backed away, but he wasn't fooling Matsuda as he looked around anxiously, as if expecting to see an elf or fairy hiding somewhere in the castle grounds.

Mido came up to Matsuda, "what did he want?"

"He was just trying to frighten me. They are suspicious of us Mido."

"I know, all those weeks out in the wilderness, they think we've changed, become sympathisers like prince Light."

"What do we do?"

"Just keep going, for now, but keep alert and let's watch out for one another. They're itching to murder someone else, they're so paranoid they see enemies everywhere and we're prime suspects. There may come a time where we have to run."

Matsuda nodded, privately deciding that he would leave as soon as he was demanded to start slaughtering innocent people; murder was not what he signed up for.

xxXXxx

"My lord, I think we can trust Light," Misa pushed, pressing her body close to Mikami's. "Besides, he is your brother, surely you should want him released?"

Mikami sighed and slouched down in his seat. He and Misa were in his private quarters, a polite tea set between them. He hadn't drunk anything or partook of the various sweets and biscuits laid out on the table. He hadn't been able to eat for several days now, since realising that Misa simply was not in love with him but rather his brother. On top of that, the stink of burning flesh was still in his hair on his clothes. It was making him nauseous.

"How can you stand the smell?" he asked her, making her look at him strangely. "The smell of the fairy's death," he clarified, "I've washed since and changed my clothes, but I can still smell his burning." He gripped his hair, "it's driving me crazy! How can the smell linger like this? And it smells so bad as well; I'll never be able to stand it. How can you?"

"I-I don't smell anything," she responded slowly and in a very adult voice. Suddenly she grinned, "so as Misa was saying," she continued, "I think we should go to your daddy and tell him to let Light go."

"No!" roared Mikami standing up so violently that the chair he had been sitting on was thrown to the floor, "my goddess Misa, you don't have to marry me if you don't want to but why must you insist on torturing me with your obvious preference to Light? He broke the rules, he is a traitor, he should not be allowed out of those dungeons!"

"Misa knows you're unhappy without him!" she cried passionately, standing up and clutching her chest, knocking down her own chair, "Misa wants' you to accept her love for your brother but also, also do this for me," she took a lock of her hair, "I am golden haired, if I marry you or Light, your people will never respect me. Please, I'm not a witch or a fairy..."

"Sometimes I wonder," said Mikami, his eyes bright with unshed tears, "I feel you have bewitched me. Sometimes I am suspicious of you..."

She paled dramatically and began to back away, knocking the table and spilling the tea-set, "n-no...no, Mikami, I'm not a fairy or an elf, I swear, I swear! I hate elves and I hate fairies!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really!" her face was now red, and her eyes wild and bright. Mikami had never seen her so, natural. "Fairies and elves they ruined my land. All the crops failed, it rained too much, then everyone got ill and almost everyone died, including my mother and father! Now my miserable uncle rules the land which is rightfully mine and hardly anyone is under him because they're all dead. He's the king of the dead. And all o this because the fairies cursed us! I hate them and I am not one of them!"

"I knew of your Kingdom's misfortune," said Mikami quietly as Misa recovered from her outburst, "I did not know it was the cause of fairies." He looked at her strangely. "all of our misfortune only happened when you arrived in the region. Have you bought the curse with you?"

"of course not!"

"You must have done, it all makes sense!"

"You're lying!" she cried, "don't you dare tell lies against me. I'll be killed! They'll kill me!"

"You should have thought about that before cavorting with the likes of Light, a fairy sympathiser."

"That's what this is all about isn't it?" she sneered, "ha, yes, I see, your jealousy makes you evil!"

Mikami gulped and sat back down. There was a beat of silence. "I don't know what's happening to me," he said at last, "I don't want you hurt Misa, and I don't think you're a fairy or cursed. And I hope you aren't evil." He got back onto his feet shakily. "I will talk to my father about releasing Light. But, just tell me, what has Light got that I don't?"

She tossed her hair back defiantly, "he's brave," she answered simply, "where you are just a follower in his shadow."

With those words, she marched out of the room, leaving Mikami amongst the wreckage.

xxXXxx

The morning the men set out, one group led by Ukita, the other led by Mogi, was cold and dismal. It was too cold for snow to fall, and instead the sky was a deep, uniform grey and a harsh cold wind from the north slapped them at their uncovered faces viciously.

"It's the witches and elves of the north," Matsuda heard man behind them whimper, "They're sending down curses to us!"

They were all on horseback and as they marched through the nearest town, Matsuda felt like a bully, learning down at the townsfolk who looked up with wide eyes and pale faces.

'_Everyone is afraid,'_ he thought, _'everyone is afraid that either they'll be tried and killed for being elves, or that the elves will exact revenge upon them.'_

They went beyond the local town and out into the farmlands, back towards Matsuda old home. It had already been decided that there were no elves in the town outside the castle, the advisor of the king had decided that the elves were too afraid to come that close to the royal family, and instead they must have been hiding further out with the poorer people of the lesser towns and little villages.

As they drew nearer the smaller towns the group split, Mogi's taking his group to Matsuda old village. It had been decided between Ukita and Mogi that none of their men could be allowed to 'cleanse' their old villages, because they wouldn't be able to keep their professionalism up and would probably end up trying to save their old friends and family. So Matsuda was stuck watching Mogi and his team going up the hill to his old home, while he could only watch in silence and do nothing_. 'There's no one with blonde hair in my old village,'_ he told himself, _'I needn't be scared for them.' _But despite his thoughts, his stomach continued to churn and ache with fear and barely suppressed panic. It was similar to when he was out in the woods searching for the elves; there was an on-going feeling of fear intermingled with the boredom and monotony of riding, the horses dragging themselves through the mud, the feeling of going nowhere really.

There were ten men in his group, himself, Mido, Higuchi, a young thug named Takuo, an older man called Kurou who constantly griped about wanting to retire, though Matsuda was certain he was no older than Rester, a family man called Taylor, Osoreda who was a pathetic hanger-on to Higuchi and his cronies, a fairly kind, if remote, man called Ray, another older man called Stephen and finally a lazy loser called Hitoshi who had always been vocal about the fact that he became royal guard for the money alone.

Matsuda didn't know many of these men well, since starting his career in being a royal guard most of his time had been spent with Mogi, Mido, Rester and Aiber. He missed his old group.

When they arrived in the little village of Swinedon, named after the high levels of pigs that where bred there, they went directly to the Lord of land who lived in the largest farm a little way away from the peasants and poorer farmers. Mido and Matsuda with the rest of the men waited outside in the drizzle while Ukita went inside to talk to the lord. It was only a few minutes until the lord came out with Ukita and addressed them all.

"We are suspicious of some fairy magic being used in our village," he announced, "in recent months we've had a lot of bad luck, the potatoes aren't growing as large as previous years, the winter has arrived early, and just last week a piglet was born," he paused for dramatic effect, "born with a black snout and black hooves. We were most distressed. All pour pigs are a healthy, all-over pink" he said, looking at the few nonplussed faces of the soldiers.

"But," started Matsuda, earning a glare from Mido, "but in my old village we often had pigs born with patches such as black. Is it that unusual?"

Everyone stared at him in accusing silence until the Lord said gravely, "Then I'm afraid that many in your village will be tried and found guilty of performing fairy magic sir."

"There are a few suspects," said Ukita, pulling the attention away from Matsuda, "they're all locked up in the church graveyard. Matsuda, Higuchi and Steve come with me to collect them. The rest of you go to the local river with the priest, that's where the suspects will be tried."

Matsuda had always been disturbed out by graveyards, but with the added drizzle and grey skies making everything seem blurred and the on-coming mist, the graveyard of Swinedon was even creepier. They walked to the centre of the graveyard, where a large white stone statue of an angel stood tall and proud. It was holding a sword in its hand, and a shield in its other, but its eyes were gentle and kind; around its base where two men and two women, looking extremely haggard, tied up by rope.

'_They've been out here for ages,'_ thought Matsuda, looking at how worn down and ill they were_, 'they've been left in the elements for days.' _

One girl in the group, who could have been no older than fourteen, had pale hair that looked as if it were slowly darkening.

'_In a few years,'_ he realised, _'she will be a brunette; she would be seen as innocent.'_

There were no other blonds in the group, though all of them had pale brown hair, not dissimilar to Mido's. Matsuda stood back as Steve and Higuchi hacked at the rope and dragged the tired bodies away roughly. It was clear they already believed the people were guilty. As they were dragged away, Matsuda took one last look up at the angel. Water of the drizzle ran down its face. The angel looked like it was crying.

"This is the trial of Miss Sarah Marshall, Mrs Jane Harada, Mr Toshiko Jones and Mr Samuel Smith," spoke the Lord as the soldiers, the accused and the priest stood in the rain next to a increasingly wild running river. Above the river bank the villagers of town peered over, watching with greedy eyes. Matsuda hated them all.

"The charges against them are as such: witchcraft, cavorting with fairy folk, treason against the king, sabotage against the village, dancing with demons, worshipping Satan and calling the wrath of elves and the mischief of fairy's upon us." The Lord finished reading and looked up to Ukita.

"Is there any evidence against them?" he asked.

"Yes sir." The Lord replied quickly, "several eye-witnesses state they saw the women dancing around naked during the final days of autumn..."

"No!" cried out the women, both of them weeping in humiliation and fear, "it's not true please!"

They both looked up to the villagers, young Sarah looking at her father, a elderly man who looked both angry and distressed, and Mrs Jane Harada looking at her husband, who, Matsuda noted, turned his head away and gripped the hand of a smug looking women who was gladly watching the whole thing.

'Did they make up the charges against his wife," he wondered, 'in order for them to be fee to become a couple?'

"Is there any more evidence?" he said out loud, "this could be hearsay!"

"My, my, look at that," he heard Hitoshi muttering behind him, "he really is the devil's advocate ain' he?"

"I'm just making sure we've gotten this right," he snarled, turning onto his colleagues, "I don't want us to commit murder in the name of our goddess, do you?"

He turned back to the accuser of men, his face burning hot with anger. He knew his rage would make him seem suspicious, but he hated what was happening. It was a farce, and he knew it was.

"There is more evidence," insisted the lord, "the deformed piglet belonged to the stable of these two men," he gestured to Samuel and Toshiko, who looked grave, "and we know that all four of these heinous sinners have been having affairs with one another, we all know it!"

All four began to protest their innocence, but it was too late, the villagers were already jeering or nodding along with what the Lord had said. Ukita raised his hands and called for order. When it was finally silent he said, "well, we've been given orders from the king. According to old traditions of our grandfathers, there are tried and tested methods of discovering witches. Tie their hands and legs and put rocks in their pockets." The soldiers obeyed. "Good, now we need to throw them into the river, if they rise to the top it's the evil fairies attempting to save them, but if they sink, then they are innocent."

Sarah began to scream, while Toshiko cried out, "we'll drown, we'll drown you fool!"

"We'll fish you out in time," answered Ukita calmly, though Matsuda could pick up the slight tremor in his voice.

Sarah and Toshiko were then gagged and Matsuda found himself being made to hold her legs and pushing her into river. Her suffocated screams finally died as her head entered the water.

All four sunk.

There was complete silence.

"Let's get them out," shrieked Mido suddenly, "they've all sunk, it means innocence!"

Ukita, pale and wide eyed nodded and the men crashed into the water. However, they had underestimated how much rougher the river had gotten. Two of them fell and were almost swept downstream, and four refused to get in for fears of their lives.

Matsuda was one of the ones who smashed into the water, it was freezing cold, so much so that he gasped in shock and could feel his body screaming and panicking, He fought the urge to climb out of the horrible dirty brown water, even though it pushed at his body cruelly, trying to force him downstream.

_'I have to get them out!'_ he thought desperately, _'and now!"_

He dove under the water but could see nothing due to how muddy the water was, so instead he closed his eyes and felt with his hands and arms. He cut himself on several rocks and at one point grabbed something soft and dragged it to the surface only to find he had grabbed a fellow panic-stricken soldier.

"We've killed them," the man babbled, "we killed-"

Matsuda dove back under and finally grabbed the narrow shoulder of Sarah.

He dragged her over to the embankment and looked at her face. It was a terrible pale and her lips were blue. Her mouth was full of filthy water and bits of mud and soil. She was not moving. He looked around in horror. Mido was panting nearby, holding the limp body of Samuel. Mido shook his head, Samuel was dead. Others stared in shock. The other two people, Mrs Jane and Mr Toshiko had been dragged downstream no doubt to their doom.

Matsuda held Sarah's young deceased body close and cried.

xxXXxx

Light was dreaming strange things. He was in a forest, everything was green and shadowy, but beautiful. The blurring between lines didn't scare him, it just made everything more wonderful and made life seem more lucid.

L was in his dream, pale skin no longer seeming pallid and ugly, but fair and delicate, an attractive contrast to dark, doe eyes and the wild mane of hair.

"You've turned everything onto its head," Dream-Light whispered, "you have made me love what I hated and respect what I abhorred. Have you put me under a spell? I feel like I've been enchanted."

He stretches out a tan hand and cupped L's elvin face in wonder.

"Beauty is subjective," answered the deep monotone, "and subject to change, depending on the situation. The only magic in this world is the ever flowing emotions of love and hate and friendship and regret, the side effects of conscious life. It's time to wake up now."

Light's eyes snapped open as he gasped slightly.

Mikami, his brother and once best friend, looked down upon him, making Light sit up and observe his features.

"You look awful," he said at last, "Mikami what's happening to you?"

"I've fallen in love with someone who does not want me," was Mikami's honest reply. The darker brother sat on the bed next to Light. "I tried to convince father to release you, at the bequest of Misa, father has agreed to consider it, though of course we are both cynical of your sudden change of heart."

"I don't want to be burned to death," said Light simply. "I'm sure that can be understood. Really, Mikami, I understand that I took things too far, and that there is perhaps a real threat to us at the hands of the elves."

"You are probably bewitched."

"I feel fine."

"A bewitched person would say that. There is talk of travelling north, to see if we can find Sayu. Will you head the search?"

"Yes, definitely," Light said with honesty, "but is it definitely going to happen? I hear a lot of talk from father, but realistically, when will this all come to pass?"

"After the cleansing of our land."

"But that could take months. Have you never thought that they may attack us?"

Mikami laughed, "They're fairies Light! They don't fight like us, they just send out stupid annoying spells. Plus, they tend to sleep in the winter. We've been researching them, how to detect them, how to kill them and so on. They're hardly active in the winter. And they aren't an organised group, just individual weirdoes. We can take them on."

Light gulped, wondering whether to say what was on his mind. Finally, he decided to keep it to himself, not wanting to risk staying in the dungeon any longer than needed. But as he watched Mikami strutting away he thought to himself_, 'and what if the northerners are human, Mikami, do you think they won't attack?_' He looked around his dungeon before laying back down, '_I just need to play their game and get out of here, then maybe I can talk some sense into the enemy, if not my own family.'_

xxXXxx

"Matt is dead."

"I know."

"They killed him."

"I know."

Near watched his older brother carefully. "What are you going to do?" he asked, always the most afraid of Mello when he was still and apparently calm.

"What do you think?" answered the Alfar with a sneer, "I'm going to kill them all."

"But we don't have the resources," sighed Near, "we won't beat them, it's suicide-"

"I KNOW!" roared Mello suddenly getting to his feet, "I don't care. I will bring about justice, even if it kills me!" He looked at Near, and the younger brother realised then that the Alfar, his brother and his king, had gone completely mad, "I will see the world burn to the ground," Mello continued, "and every person in it, because without Matt, there is nothing left worth saving in this world, I'm sorry to say, not even you, not really."

Near gulped and nodded, "I always knew you loved him more than me. It's alright. I just wish you wouldn't do this," Mello brushed past him, leaving him alone in the hall. Near took in a shuddering breath, and whispered to himself, "it's just that, if life isn't worth anything to you with Matt gone, it's worth nothing to me with you gone. But it makes sense that you wouldn't care about that." He walked over to the throne and, picking up some of the furs draped them over his cold body, "after all, what am I, but a boy made of ice?"

Standing on a balcony, Mello watched the thousand men and women he had managed to pull together as a make shift army. They were all from different tribes, all brave folk who wanted to protect their land, small and miserable as it was, and to protect their loved ones from the mad king of the south.

"My people!" he called down to them all, watching with something like pride as the thousand faces turned to him, almost all of them with golden locks or flame-hair, "we were going to wait for the lunatics of the south to come up here, but now there is a change of plan. They have killed two of our own people, for the simple crime of having hair colour different to their own!"

The people jeered and booed.

"But we will get revenge on the black-eyed devils," Mello continued, "we have the goddess Freya on her side, and the war god Odin will accompany us on our noble cause. We will go to the south ourselves and we will kill every dark haired dog and black haired mongrel we come across. They think we are fairies and elves," the crowd laughed mockingly, "so we will use their stupid fears against them! We will be as witches and monsters and ghosts to them. We will sneak into the land, as close to their king as possible, and then we will wipe them out!" he raised his large sword above his head, "we will eliminate them all! We will leave their children orphans and destroy their crops and raise their villages and never, never again will they threaten us or our loved ones every again! They would not dare cross us again!"

The soldiers, a collection of farmers, sages and warriors raised their weapons and let out a deafening roar.

They would follow their Aesir even into death.

xxXXxx

It was late at night. The moon was full and the ground was covered in ice and frost, making everything glisten as if the fairies had reached out and sprinkled the land in fairy dust.

"Come on," whispered a blond man with pale blue eyes to a young fair haired girl and her frightened, brunette mother, "just let her go, she'll be safe with us, I promise."

Finally, the mother nodded and let her child run to the man. "She will be allowed to return," whispered the mother, "once this hysteria has calmed down?"

"I swear to you," replied Aiber, "I swear to bring your child back. We're all coming back, but not until the winter is over. First we re-appear and then so will the Princess, that's what the fairies prophesy."

"Alright," she said, "alright, goodbye my little angel."

She waved to her child and to Aiber, the little girl now in his arms mournfully waving back until the pair disappeared inexplicably into the darkness. The mother stood there for a long time, before finally sneaking back into her home, praying no one had seen her and would report her for witchcraft or cavorting with fairies.

All over the region, small blond children were being snuck out of their rooms and out of their homes. People began to talk of it. "I saw it," said the butcher of Matsuda's old town, one that was now half empty because so many people had been tried and killed for witchcraft and fairy magic. "I saw a man, who was almost completely naked, luring that little fair haired harlot Miss Joanne, into the woods with him. Then they vanished. It was magic and he was an elf. It just confirms all along what we thought; the fair haired people are in league with the fairies and elves."

"But didn't Joanne have brown hair?" queried the bakers son.

"Yes, but it was very pale. Plus," the butcher sniffed, "I personally think she dyed it brown. They're all doing that now, trying to dye their hair or always wearing headscarfs. So really, we can't trust anyone anymore, blonde or not."

But on this particular night, the night of the ice and frost, the butcher felt strange in his home, he felt as if something was happening. Putting on a single candle, he stood by his window and looked out. There was movement in the trees just beyond his garden. He squinted, not quite understanding what he saw. It looked like a lot of animals travelling. Deciding that he could use the meat over the winter, he grabbed his homemade spear which he used against boar, put on his fur coat and boots and went outside.

In the chilly night-time he crawled towards the tree grove. Indeed it looked like a mass of travelling furry animals. They were big, and looked like they had many shiny and sharp tusks, going by the way things kept catching the light of the moon and glimmering.

Putting a thick knife in his mouth, he edged closer, and closer and closer until he realised what they were.

There were faces of humans under the mass of fur.

_'Werewolves?'_ he thought suddenly, _'wait no, it's men under the furs of various animals.' He then saw that what he thought were tusks were actually drawn swords and spears._

Feeling the blood drain from his face, he began to crawl away until he came face to face with one of the strange men. It was either a young man or a female, but the person had pale blue eyes that were void of any mercy, and, to his horror, pale skin and the blondest hair he'd ever seen.

"P-please," he began, "please don't kill me, Mr Fairy, I'm sorry. I have plenty of milk and sugar in my house if that would please you..."

"You have announced war on my people," said Mello, "I am the Alfar and I am exacting my righteous revenge, were you one of the men that killed my people?"

The butcher suddenly remembered how he'd been one of the ones to watch the burning of the red-head foreigner, and how he had reported Goody Mary and Mr Sugisaki the blacksmith up to the authorities as being fairy sympathisers, they'd both been drowned.

"No...I mean...no...I just... I'm sorry, I was trying to do the right thing..."

"What did we ever do to you?" asked Mello, his eyes blazing with misery and loss turned to madness, "we never poisoned your wells or cursed your lands, what would we gain from that? But we are going to destroy you all now."

"No please-"

Mello drove a dagger into the butcher's heart. As the butcher bled out onto the ground like so many of the pigs and pheasants he'd gutted in his time, Mello turned to his people.

"You two," he gestured to a woman and a man, "chop off his head and put it on one of the spikes of that fence over there. He'll be found in the morning and will send a message to the people. We'll be at the castle by then, and will it'll be too late to stop us."

The man and woman nodded, and looking at the butcher in agonising death roes, out him out of his misery by swiftly chopping of his head in one fatal swoop of an axe.

Mello continued on with his other men, due to reach the royal town in less than two hours time.

The town was going to burn, burn like how they'd burnt his lover.

xxXXxx

"My lord, wake up, please wake up now! We're under attack!"

Soichiro stumbled out of bed as Sachiko sat up, terror thrumming through her body.

"What's going on?" The king asked.

"We're being attacked!" Ukita all but screamed, "the town, the town just outside of here," Ukita ran to the kings window and ripped open the curtains, "it's been razed the ground!"

Soichiro watched in horror as he saw bright red, gold and black flames licking up into the air, the heavy smoke suddenly apparent in the air.

Ukita was running to the bedroom door, "Mogi and the guard are already heading to the town, they're probably already there, we need you sir, you bought this unholy hell upon us!"

Soichiro didn't even register the fact that he had been criticised by an angry and frightened inferior, for he was too busy trying to pull his thought's together whilst getting dressed. 'Y_ou must have known this would happen?' _a voice in his mind that sounded a lot like his son Light said mockingly, _'you must have known that they'd fight back. What, was you expecting maybe some angry fairy spells affecting the crops this year? You've been murdering their people, of course they would take this as war.'_

"Shut up," he cried to himself, ignoring the odd look his wife gave him, "just shut up."

He ran out into the hallway, passing a pale faced and frightened looking Takada and screaming at her, "release Light from confinement, we're under attack and I have no army!"

Outside the smoke of the town had hit the castle, despite there being a few miles between them. He jumped onto his steed which had been made ready for him. He looked down on his servants, all dark haired and scared.

"Round up as many fighters as possible," he ordered.

"Sir," said one brave servant, "many of our fighters are gone. Too many of them were fair haired. They've been...they've been executed."

"We didn't have that many blondes in this land!"

"People with light brown hair were thrown into suspicion...the fear, it spread sir, I'm sorry, it's possible the guards were over-zealous in their duty."

Soichiro cursed as his son Mikami joined his side.

Soichiro eyed him carefully. Mikami had been growing increasingly strange in the last few months, he was withdrawn and losing weight. Soichiro wondered if it was the sorrow of losing contact with Light, his only real friend.

"What are you doing here son?"

"I have come to fight," said Mikami, gesturing to his sword before looking up to a balcony where Princess Misa stood standing with wide blue eyes.

"You want to win her love through bravery," Soichiro realised.

Mikami nodded.

Soichiro tightened his lips, "very well, let us go."

The castle gates opened and the King and Prince rode through them on their horses, never to return.

* * *

**A.N- I owe you all an apology. I had intended to get the whole war and everything done in this chapter, but god it's too long! Damn me and my long winded writing! Anyway, the war will be next chapter. I hope you're all still like this, despite the seriousness.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the characters. You can probably tell that I have a soft spot for Near, and usually end up making him far cuter and emotional than he was in canon. I apologise if he was horribly OOC I will try to rein him in a little.**

**I also hope the Mikami-Misa interchange wasn't too melodramatic. Lol.**


	12. Deals with the devil

**Warings- un-beta so there may be errors. Please forgive and point them out for me. Thank you.**

* * *

**Last time:** Matt, emissary of the north, is killed under the mistaken belief that he was an enemy elf.

Mikami is falling increasingly deranged and is becoming more distressed at Misa's lack of interest in him romantically. Misa is in love with Light but he is more intrigued by the mysterious creature L.

Meanwhile, Aiber and Rester are working with the elves and sneaking innocent blondes and red-heads away into the magical forests.

Misa convinces Mikami to ask Soichiro to release Light. Soichiro, whilst cynical of Light's change of heart, offered to release him after the cleansing of the land.

Light has secretly decided to execute his father and take over the throne once his release is realised.

Mello, the alfar of his land, has been driven mad by the loss of his lover Matt and heads up an army to attack the south. Near confesses to himself that he always loved Mello more than anyone else, even though he always knew Mello cared more about Matt.

Mello marches into the southlands and razes the town just outside of the castle to the ground. Soichiro has no army and most of his own soldiers have been executed for having too pale hair. Mikami joins him as he marches out to face Mello...

And now...

* * *

The town outside of the castle had originally had a large wooden fence built around it. This fence had been the first thing Mello had his army set fire to before they began to charge into the unsuspecting town. The army were merciless, cutting down men, women and even children. As soon as they entered the sleepy town, houses, which were mainly made of wood, were set on fire. Some of the warriors even blocked the doors, dooming the inhabitants inside. Even if people did escape, Mello's people were outside, looting whatever they found and slaughtering anyone who they did not recognise with swift ferocity.

There was no forgiveness in the Alfar's eyes. He did not care for the southern people and his army did not see their victims as people, they saw them as dark-haired, dark-eyed villains who would have gladly killed their own friends and families had they made it to the north.

"We want no prisoners," barked the warlord in the midst of rubble and screams, "they'll only slow us down anyway. Kill everyone, then follow me and form a line behind my horse. We wait for their sleepy head Alfar to arrive!"

His cronies laughed nastily, before swarming around him and a white horse, stolen from a local stable, which he now rode upon.

"Take any weapon or steed you want," he continued to growl, watching the dark outline of Soichiro's castle in the distance, "we have small numbers, and if they were too stupid to expect us than they deserve to have their own weapons turned against them."

Meanwhile, heading towards the town in absolute darkness was King Soichiro and his son Mikami. Behind them was Ukita and a few dozen men he had managed the band together at the last minute. Most of the guards, including Matsuda and Mido, were still in different villages scattered about the kingdom, and even if they had all been pulled together, due to the cleansing, the guard's numbers had been vastly slimmed. To make matters worse, Soichiro's kingdom had known peace for so long that guards were the closest thing they had to soldiers. Soichiro just had to hope that the faeries attacking them wouldn't be able to stand up to them; after all, going by the stereotype, faeries were small, slim and silly. They're spells were the only things to fear.

As they drew closer to the town, they could smell the stench of burning flesh (Mikami's hands gripped the reins of his horse, and his eyes widened so much that had anyone looked upon him, they would have thought him a mad-man), the land grew warmer and lighter with the strength of the bright fires.

"Ready your arms men," called out Soichiro, "we are to take down their leader as soon as possible. I want this uprising stamped out as soon as possible."

Behind him, the guards gripped their swords, but many had sweaty palms and were shaking; horror stories of the faeries and elves had been travelling around their country for too long, and they were all deeply afraid, their own superstition already defeating them.

As they crossed over the final bridge past a fjord, they rose over to see a line of what at first seemed like a number of gruesome and distorted pack of wolves, lions and bears. The king and his men halted for a moment, not understanding what they saw.

Behind the rows of monstrosities were great, bellowing vermillion flames of scorching heat. There were no screams from the village; everyone was dead. Now there was only the sound of the crackling flames and the occasional tumble of a falling building.

"Dear Goddess," Soihciro heard his son murmur, "they aren't faeries or elves, they are demons sent straight from hell!"

"Keep your wits boy," he growled, before holding up his arm to signal his en to stay as they were, and then allowing his horse to trot forward.

A creature on a white horse did the same, until the two met in the middle, their armies at their backs. The creature looked like a white wolf, but on closer inspection, Soichiro could now see that it was a wolf skin on a man's body.

The man pulled off the hood, revealing his face. Soichiro gasped, this is how he imagined elves to look, with slim faces, bright, light hair and cold eyes. His fury and deep seated prejudiced uncoiled itself in his gut and reared it's evil head, chasing away any fears he had.

"Where is my daughter heathenous scum!" he barked, his men behind straightening, feeling proud and earning respect from the bravery of their king.

"I am the alfar of the north, and I don't have your daughter," growled Mello, "are you really so arrogant to think that you and your mud-country warranted my attention before now? I haven't your daughter, but I do have an endangered brother, a dead ally and a dead lover. You have my attention now alfar of the south, and I shall do to your entire country what I have done here tonight."

Something the alfar said stuck in Soichiro's mind, "what do you mean alfar of the south?" He queried, "I am not an elf; I am a man."

Mello smirked and Soichiro's eyes looked slowly down to the right to find a bloodied sword gripped tight in Mello's hand.

It was then that it hit home, everything that people had been trying to tell him hit home. These were men. He had started a completely unnecessary war with other people, people he knew virtually nothing about other than a few housewife tales. In turn this meant he had murdered innocent men and now he was dooming more with a useless war.

'_Is there any way to fix this?'_ he wondered desperately before noting Mello's eyes; the fire's had lit them up and he could see a familiar fevered madness in them. Turning to his left, he saw a similar deranged look in his son, only Mikami seemed more emotionally detached and more drained than Mello.

Mikami and Mello were both already mad, and Mello was going to murder the king for his misdeeds, nothing would stop the alfar, nothing but death.

Soichiro grit his teeth and nodded.

The two kings simultaneously clashed their swords together and began a fearsome duel on horseback, around them their two armies (well, two straggling groups) ran towards one another whilst screaming their war cries.

The war had begun.

Meanwhile, in his cage, Light could hear the distant roar of warfare. He closed his eyes dreading the outcome of what was happening.

'_You knew this day would come,_' his thoughts said to him, _'you knew the minute you met Matt, you knew that they were people father was foolish enough to wage war upon. The land will be ravaged by the northerners. Your only hope is to kill father in order to make amends for the innocent northern blood that was shed.'_

"Do not lose heart," he heard a quiet voice say.

His eyes snapped open and there, by his cage door (which was now open) stood the mysterious L, this time wearing a guard's uniform.

"We have saved as many of your people as we could afford," L explained calmly, "but my people want payback for their hard work; you never get anything for free."

"Of course not," replied Light, standing and giving L a once over. "The uniform suits you," he complimented, making L almost smile, "you should work for me L. You'd make a fine looking servant." L's almost-smile quickly dissipated and was replaced by one raised eyebrow. Light grinned, knowing he had rubbed the elf up the wrong way. There's was just something about L that made him want to one-up him all the time.

"We need you to come out and to make some sort of resolution with the Northern people," L replied, talking quickly and with complete professionalism, "there are some in my realm that do not appreciate how much the humans, especially your little tribe, are putting us out, blaming us for things and now making us babysit your vulnerable. We're running out of space."

"I understand," said Light calmly, "I need to speak to one of their Alfar, can you take me to him?"

"He's too insane now," L shook his head, "but I will take you to another. Hold on tight."

Light gripped L's arm as a sudden wind blew around them like a mini-tornado blocking them out of sight with its ferocity. By the time it had died back down, there was nothing left of them to be seen. The dungeon was completely empty.

Meanwhile in a large barn in the village of the murdered innocents, Matsuda sat shivering near the barn door entrance. Many of the men complained about the itchiness of the straw and the cold, but farm boys like Matsuda and Mido were used to it. Mido sat next to Matsuda and for a while they sat in silence sharing each other's body heat.

"Today was pretty awful," Mido broke the silence at last, his voice hoarse and croaky.

"I can't believe we were involved in something so evil," whispered Matsuda.

Mido looked back at the men, all of whom were subdued. Many were trying to sleep, but were unable.

"It's shaken everyone's confidence," he said at last, "there are whispers amongst the ranks that we killed the wrong people, that they were completely human and surely, if they were in league with evil elves and sprites that such creatures would have saved them." There was a pause. "The young girl who died, her father is distraught."

"The one I couldn't save." Said Matsuda dully.

"None of us could save any of them! At least we went into the water to try and save them." Mido lowered his voice again, "the worst affected men are the ones who just stood at the banks and watched it happen. They aren't speaking but you can tell by their ashen faces. They're ashamed of themselves." Mido kicked a stone, "to be fair, we aren't soldiers, just guardsmen, and we've never faced real peril till now, it isn't surprising many of us have become cowards, or have been revealed as such."

There was a shriek in the sky, and a hawk landed down beside Matsuda, startling the two men as it landed so suddenly and heavily.

It had a note tucked onto its leg.

Matsuda ripped it off and showed it to Mido, Matsuda couldn't read very well but Mido could.

"Oh my goddess," the boy gasped, "we're being attacked! It says here elves have beheaded a man and they've seen the footprints of many booted feet in the snow heading towards the town centre!" Mido looked at Matsuda.

"Only no elves don't go around chopping heads off or making war-!"

"Only people do that," finished Mido, "other human beings. It must be the people who the red-headed boy belonged to! They've come to kill the king!" replied Mido.

Matsuda scrambled to his feet to call the other men, they needed to get to the town and quickly!

xxXXxx

When the flushing around his ears died down at last, Light tentatively opened his amber eyes and looked around. He was somewhere cold, even colder than his dungeon; he could even see his own breath as he gasped out hugging himself and shaking. L had bought him to a massive hall, similar to the one his father had to entertain guests (the same hall that held the party L and his uncle had crashed, in fact). The walls were not warm and light here, they were made of a blue-black stone. A few torches were on the walls, but they gave out little light and even less warmth. The hall was mostly bare, signifying a simple way of life and a degree of poverty. To the end of the hall was a throne covered in animal furs. On it sat a small boy who was pure white, enough to make Light think at first that he was a statue, only the boy's only non-white feature, his dark eyes, were blinking slightly.

Light started.

"How did you get here?" The boy asked, evidently unperturbed by the fact that two men had just popped in is throne room out of nowhere. His blank, inflectionless voice reminded him of L, and for some reason it irritated him, not because it reminded him of L, but because it seemed wrong for this boy to posses any of the strange habits L had.

"A magical being bought me here," answered Light, looking for L and seeing him crouching down in the shadows. He frowned at L's odd behaviour, but didn't challenge it. Instead he faced the boy, "I am Light Yagami, Prince of the Southlands."

"A Prince of the southlands, using magic to get here?" a flicker of a sneer came upon the boy's lips, "how ironic. Do you know why my brother, the alfar, has led his people to your kingdom?"

"Yes, and I know he is beyond listening. I need to make a deal with someone. I need an alliance. Are you Near by any chance?"

"How did come across that knowledge?" Near glanced at L, "more magic perhaps?"

"No, I spoke to the emissary Matt before he was killed."

The boy then showed his first flicker of genuine emotion, he hid it quickly, but Light spotted it. It was a mix of misery and regret all in one small show. '_Maybe this young prince is as unhappy with the war as I am,'_ mused Light, '_he seems less sad about Matt's death and more regretful of it. And no wonder, his death will bring about the ruination of his kingdom if they really are this poor. There's no way that many could withstand the might of the southlands for long, even if they did surprise my father.'_

"My father," he began, hoping to use some truth in order to make Near relate to him (and to show L that he could be truthful and not just an arrogant brat prince,) "my father is so far gone in his own misery of losing his daughter, my sister, and so ingrained in paranoia, I no longer feel that he is fit to lead my people. I understand that he has hurt your family personally and without cause. I cannot apologise for the spy in my land, though I can promise you that I loved her and her death caused me personal sorrow. But I can apologise for Matt who came in complete peace and as an honest emissary."

"And what exactly will you do to apologise? In our culture, we use actions more than words. Normally our way of dealing with death and forgiveness is by the murderous party giving the victims family a gift of money or gold. But no amount of money will bring back my friends or my brother the alfar."

"I know," said light, allowing darkness to creep into his eyes, "I believe that blood will be the only thing to make up for my nation's sins. Therefore, I propose with much regret, to kill my father and to make sure that I get the throne and not my brother. Both men, though I love them, have shown a lack of humanity and goodness that has shocked and appalled even me. The one's I love are murderers, it's only right that they die."

Light felt his heart pumping and deep inside something screamed out against the things he was saying, but his logical and moral side kept telling him that he was right, that this was the only way to make things better; either two people he cared about died, or two entire nations would be doomed to unending warfare and possible mass genocide. His father had allowed the madness of rank superstition to enter his land and his brother had encouraged due to his infatuation with the foolish Misa, it was only right for them to die for their sins for both men were essentially murderers now.

As he spoke, Near watched him carefully and even some time after he had finished his declaration of treachery, Near was still for some time. Light waited patiently, understanding somehow that the boy wasn't trying to intimidate him through silence, but was processing the information and deciding on the best course of action. _'That's good,'_ he decided, _'after all after this we may become allies, and I would rather someone who can think without emotion involved than someone like the current alfar, or even my brother.'_ Though Light's heart stung a little to realise how little he respected Mikami anymore. As soon as the sting of pain was gone, his heart burned with spite towards Misa, the one who, knowingly or not, had ruined his both his brother and their relationship.

Finally Near stirred and sat up in the throne, suddenly looking much bigger and more commanding. _'Well he will be the new alfar soon enough, as the current one has gone to commit suicide in the name of his lost friend.'_

"Bloodshed isn't enough," said Near, "it is not enough to simply kill someone for the deaths they have caused. In my mind that isn't justice, it's just revenge, and surely we should be above that?" Light grit his teeth a little, but kept quiet. He thought he could hear a little snigger from L in the shadows though. "I would like to work with your elves and magical creatures. I believe that something put your father on this course. He had never challenged or hurt us before and our spy had only ever said positive things out your nation. Something happened, and it wasn't your sister's disappearance alone. It's almost as if someone is trying to cover up their wrongdoing by throwing everyone's attention on to the elves as scapegoats. I think us Northerners being blamed was an accident."

"L," Light gestured to the shadowed being, "told me that there are traitors within the castle, but he couldn't tell me who. He also said that my sister was safe for the moment. I tried telling my father this, but he was too far gone in his own madness. I give you permission sir, to enter my land and to find justice and to clear your people's name, all in the hope that we will be allies in the future. However I cannot speak for the elves."

L stepped forward, "we can help you, only because you will be helping us in the process. I will take Light back for now, and I will return to you."

Near nodded cautiously, doubtless wondering if the elf would keep his word.

"Do not kill your father until I have appeared," Near commanded Light, "only after I have revealed the truth to him may you do as you wish and take the crown."

Light bowed slightly before gripping onto L's arm as the vast, swirling wind surrounded them once more.

* * *

**Next time**: some truths are revealed and Light joins the battle along with Mikami, Matsuda and all the others. Warnings- there will be character deaths.


	13. Hell and all it's demons

**A.N.- If any beta's read this story, please let me know if you are willing to beta this. My sentence structure is poor and takes away from the story :(**

**Warnings- battle scenes, so lots of action. The odd swear word (tensions are running high). Racism.**

* * *

**Last time:** Light travelled to the North with L. They spoke to a morose Near who believed that the fairies were being set up by someone, and that the northerners had gotten involved by mistake. Light offered to kill his father, in the name of justice, so that the north and south could make an alliance. However Near wanted Light to wait until he had investigated into his theory before assasinating Soichiro.

Meanwhile, Mello arrived in the south and with his men razed the town outside of the castle to the ground. With smaller numbers, Soichro's men try to fight but are losing. Soichirpo realises, thanks to Mello's use of the word 'alfar', that he has started an unnecessary war with men and not faeries as he previously thought. He tries to bargain with Mello but Mello is too upset about Matt's murder.

Matsuda and his men realise that the royal family are in danger and head towards the battle.

* * *

Within the first few minutes of battle several of Soichiro's men were killed; and he didn't have many to begin with. Mello's army fought brutally and dirty, they were accustomed to fighting and surviving in difficult circumstances, they were also fighting for their families and they didn't care how they won just as long as they did. Soichiro's men, on the other hand, were frightened and new to warfare. On top of that, hardly anyone could see clearly, due to the flames and smoke, and it was unbearably hot. The stench of rank sweat and burning bodies was overpowering and sickening.

Soichiro grimaced, '_the_ _best thing to do,'_ he decided, _'would be to kill their king. It would possibly make his men more keen to shed our blood, but it would raise the confidence of my own men, seeing as these 'elves' can be killed.'_

Powering forward he ploughed straight to Mello, cutting down and running over any north-men who got in his way. He saw the alfar of the north smirk and lick his lips; Mello wanted this fight. Raising his sword Soichiro let out a mighty cry, and the two swords; the thin, beautiful, simplistic southern blade and the thick, shorter, patterned northern blade, clashed with a sharp sound and a spark of light.

Considering how slight Mello was, Soichiro was greatly surprised at his strength. He tried to push down on his sword in order to overpower the blond and to knock the sword out of his grip. His arms shook with exertion, but Mello's own arms refused to give way. They remained still for a moment, pushing into one another and glowering, while their horses whinnied nervously due to the ongoing fires. At last, Mello moved his arms and quickly swung his sword into Soichiro's side, cutting the man. Luckily, Soichiro veered his horse away just in time so that the cut caused minimum damage. He stared at the cut and then back at Mello. The Alfar was not as heavy as Soichiro, but he was much faster. Considering this, it was lucky they were on horseback, for Soichiro could use his steed to manoeuvre his body quickly; he would just have to be very alert to what Mello was doing.

They began to circle one another, the sound of men fighting in the background fading away as they began to analyse one another. Soichiro tried not to be intimidated by the alfar's blank expression and sharp, calculating eyes.

'_He knows I am a man,'_ Mello considered, _'which means I cannot use his superstition against him. However_,' he looked up at Soichiro's face_, 'he is unused to war and afraid of his actions, you can see the guilt flowing through him. His arm shakes slightly because he doesn't want to hurt me anymore, but now realises he has to.'_

Mello smiled coldly, "how does it feel," he called out, "to know that all your people are being slaughtered because of your foolishness?" He paused for a moment, before deciding to push forward with making the southern king feel as guilt ridden as possible. "The boy you killed, his name was Matt. He loved the summer because it was bright and colourful and all the more precious to us because it doesn't last long in my land. He was twenty-four years old. He had never been married, but he was in love and loved by another." Mello's eyes shone and he blinked and scowled, willing the prickling in his eyes to be from the smoke and not by tears. "And the woman you killed, the one that doted on your poor missing daughter, often spoke of your daughter's kindness and goodness and how sweet you all were. She mentioned how Sayu," (Soichiro flinched at the sound of his daughter's name being spoken by a stranger) "was often ignored by you and your wife in favour of your pompous, arrogant, spoiled and self-righteous sons."

"Do not speak of her," answered Soichiro, his voice low and hoarse, "she is not to be spoken of in any way. And do not judge my sons, though you may judge me. If I could take back my crime I would, but I can't. It was born out of ignorance. The best I can do is offer my apologies and propose a deal with you that will stop this pointless slaughter. In the same way...Matt...was innocent, so are my people."

Mello scowled, his beautiful face contorting into something ugly and inhuman, "your people are as guilty as you," he hissed venomously, "they have gone along with your insane ideas and they have encouraged and empowered your madness. It would be an injustice to Matt to let you all go unanswered. I shall kill every one of you, and die myself on this foreign land. I will make you all feel a little bit of the pain and suffering I now endure because of my loss."

"Then you are as mad as I was!" cried out Soichiro, losing his temper, "I suffer for the loss of my daughter, I don't even know if she is dead or alive. I made an error in judgement, allowing my emotions to cloud my thinking. But you are worse than I am, because at least now I know I was wrong and can admit it and I am even willing to come to a conclusion with you that does not involve bloodshed!" Somewhere behind them another building exploded and the air was filled with screams of injured and dying men.

"No you are worse than I am," responded Mello with deceptive serenity, "because I had nothing to do with Sayu where you had everything to do with Matt. In that way, you made me what I am."

Both knowing the time of talk was over the men resumed their fight, Mello making sharp and short movements with his sword, nipping at Soichiro, while the older men bore down upon the younger, wearing him down and slowing his movements with his bulk.

xxXXxx

"Honest to goddess, it never fucking ends does it?" cursed Kurou, "I didn't sign up for this shit, marching in the snow in the forest in the dead of night, fighting faeries and going to war; I signed up for guard duty!"

"We know Kurou," sighed Ray from the back. The guards were marching back to the town at their fastest speed, which wasn't much considering they were all already exhausted.

"Two nights a week," Kurou continued to whine, "good retirement fund, time off..."

"For goddess' sake Kurou be -!"

"None of this nonsense," the man continued to gripe, "I mean look at what we did today, actually drowning people, oh, whoops," he added snidely, sarcasm dripping from his words, "I mean '_faeries'_ of course!"

Ukita, who had been heading the quick march back home, suddenly whirled round to face the errant guard, "I would keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself!" He barked, "like it or not we are soldiers now! No one signed up for it per say, but we all knew that if it ever came to it, we'd be the only people able fight."

Matsuda squirmed a little; he hadn't thought that when he first signed up, he hadn't thought much about anything aside from impressing some princess. He blinked, realising that in the last few weeks he had almost forgotten about her entirely...

"Right now our king needs our help," Ukita continued, "and people are dying, so we will go back home to the castle."

Kurou scowled but didn't dare speak until he fell back down the line away from Ukita's ear shot and murmured to Higuchi, "pah, people dying, and how many of our own are dead? And who killed 'em, oh yeah, us, following the king's rules."

If Kurou had been expecting Higuchi to back him up, he was sorely disappointed when Higuchi grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and flung him up the nearest tree, pinning him there. "I watched a woman, two innocent men, and a girl drown today because of me," Higuchi hissed, "and now I'm walking to my death! I am in no mood for you and your incessant complaining!"

Mido and Matsuda walked in front, listening in the scuffle as Kurou whined about Higuchi not having to be so rough with him.

"Higuchi just stood there," whispered Mido, "I jumped in after one of the guys, but when I came out, Higuchi was just standing there, y'know, his face was all pale and he looked like he wanted to be sick."

"Good," muttered Matsuda through clenched teeth. The night was extremely cold. "I hope he suffers, so far he's acted like this whole thing is a game."

Mido didn't answer, instead, like the others, he stared at the horizon. The skyline had turned a deep orange, almost like a rising sun, only the new dawn was a long way away yet.

"My goddess," said Steve, "they set fire to the goddamn town!"

"No," gasped Ray, "no, my fiancée lives there!" He made to run to the town but Ukita grabbed him.

"Stop you fool!" he roared, "we can't go in their screaming and running, we'd all be killed! I don't know if they keep prisoners, but we have to keep our wits. We go in quickly and stealthily, adding numbers to those who should, hopefully, already be there! Come, we go, extra fast time now!"

The men broke out into a steady jog, laboured lungs working hard to get them through the thick snow, slippery ice and dangerous forest land with relative speed.

The fire in the town grew ever fiercer as the battle became harder. The horses began to collapse from the smoke inhalation, or finally panicked and ran out of town, causing their riders to topple off and killing anyone who got in their way.

The soldiers on both sides could feel their bodies beginning to burn as the flames licked at their sides, eating up more of the land and taking up more space.

Ide ran over to Mikami, "Sir!" he cried over the shouts of death and fury and the roar of the fires, "we need to retreat! We'll all die if we stay here!"

"No!" roared Mikami at the poor man, "we stay!"

Holding up his sword he lunged at the nearest blonde to him; it was a small but feisty woman. With speed and agility he pierced her chest just as she raised her axe above her head. She fell silently, dead before she even hit the ground. Ide stared in horror at the Prince; his eyes were almost red from the flames and unfocused, he was frothing slightly from the mouth, and his body language was jumpy and animalistic.

Ide fled and ran to Aizawa who was bleeding heavily from his shoulder, "the Prince has gone mad!"

"Aye," replied a weary Aizawa, "and so too has the King."

He gestured to Soichiro who was still fighting Mello.

"There is too much vengeance and personal injury in this now," said Aizawa, coughing badly from the smoke, "they will not stop, and neither side will retreat, we're all going to die here..."

At that moment, Ukita and his men burst on to the scene and at once began to fight the foreign invaders.

"Don't kill them all!" Ukita could be heard shouting, "take prisoners men!"

Aizawa smiled, they would need prisoners to bargain with the northerners, goddess knows they needed some leverage or the northerners would continue to fight recklessly until either the entire southern nation was wiped out or so down-trodden from war that it would never recover and never serve as a threat to the north again.

When they first entered in to the circle of flames, Matsuda thought that he had gone blind; the flames were so strong and so bright, and the smoke so thick, that he couldn't see properly and for a while everything was dark and blurred.

Next to him one of the men, Osoreda shouted, "Damn it all, how can we fight in this?" and this proved to be his first and last mistake of the battle, the northerners heard him and thought their sight was doubtless beginning to falter, were upon him in minute, all hacking away at him with axe's. Matsuda ran away from Osoreda's horrified screams, holding out his sword inexpertly. Despite his many months in the Royal Guard, he had never fought or even really used his weapon before. He could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest, partially from fear, partially from adrenaline and partially from the exertion of his lungs trying to take in what oxygen they could. He stumbled forward, uncertain of what to do, until he saw a figure up ahead. It was large and furry, he almost thought it was a bear until it turned around and revealed itself to be a man, a man with long blond braids on either side of his head and a long blond beard. Suddenly Matsuda's heart dropped and he felt his knees weaken; up ahead was his enemy.

The man looked at him and snarled in a strange dialect, "a swarthy, black eyed demon! No matter how many of you I kill, more of you keep coming." He raised his axe and began to run towards Matsuda, "Truly, you all must come from the fiery pit of Gehenna!"

Matsuda let out a rather undignified scream, but his survival instincts took over and as Matsuda had always been a fight man over a flight man, he raised his sword just in time for it to make contact with the axe and ward off what would have been a fatal blow. However, the man was so much larger and stronger than Matsuda that the dark-haired man was flung to the floor by the force of the hit.

The blond man let out a heart, mocking laugh. "You demons are weak!" He shouted, "that must be why you have to kill children, and women and small pixies that do no harm to any man!"

"I'm not a demon!" screamed Matsuda from the ground, hurt and humiliation burning up inside of him, "stop calling me that! I know you are not a fairy or any magical being," he got to his feet uncertainly, "and I know it was wrong that your two people died, but I did not do that, my King did! I can't stop my king! And you are no better than us! You sneak here in the night, and you've burned innocent people, women and children, and you stand here and call me a demon. I am a man, just as you are!"

"Yes," muttered the man, getting louder as he went on, "you are a man...but I shall put you down like a dog!"

Just as he raised his axe a sword pierced through his back and back out of his chest. The blond looked in shock for a moment, until the sword pulled back out and he fell to his knees. Behind him stood a wild-looking Mikami who, raising the sword once more, chopped off the man's head with a quick and brutal swipe.

The head rolled down and stopped at Matsuda's feet; the man's eyes and mouth were still open wide, frozen in the same moment of shock.

Matsuda began to wretch but Mikami grabbed his face viciously and forced Matsuda to looka t him.

"Do not," whispered Mikami, "feel any pity for these creatures!"

"It was a man," whimpered Matsuda, hating his soft, high voice, "it was a man and now...and now..."

"And now he's dead," Mikami finished, standing back and releasing Matsuda's abused face. "You have too much hope little one," said the Prince, "you care too much. That is unwise, take it from me, if you care too much for someone they'll only use it against you, before ripping at your heart and spitting at it. It's better to be like my brother, Light, cold and hard and never truly loving anyone but yourself. Love breeds hope, but hope is false and love is a trick. I know this now. Lose your hope and your love and your humanity, and maybe you'll survive tonight."

"Who has hurt you that you should speak in such a way?"

"The blonde devil that leaves in my castle and eats our food and guzzles our wine while we stand here fighting the wrong people," he answered bitterly, "what is your name? I feel like I should know you."

"I am just Matsuda," he shrugged, "I'm just a guard, nothing important Sir."

"Well you are important to me now," said the prince, "you are the only person yet to not speak to me like I am a fool. Good bye, Matsuda, I won't see you again." And with that the Prince limped away.

Matsuda stood shaking involuntarily for a few minutes. Why was it so cold when he was in the middle of a fire? It made no sense.

Finally, the young man gripped his sword. He remembered the faces of the people who had died in the river. He thought of his fair-headed friends being hunted and falsely accused. He thought of the smell of Matt burning on the pyre and how he had put the explosives on there. He thought of Mido, the only friend he had left, who was possibly lost or dead out in this pit of hell. He thought of Misa, of when he first saw her, of his desire to be with her, of what Mikami had said and of how little he now thought of her. It was so stupid. He felt all his bitterness and anger well up inside until it turned into anger.

'Swarthy, black eyed demon.'

He had never been called names like that before; they called him names for his stupidity and clumsiness but never had he been judged simply for having a type of hair or eye colour. It stung, as childish as it was, it hurt him. It was the straw on the camel's back.

His eyes opened and he began to walk into the fire where he could hear the sounds of battle. He would fight, not because he believed it was right, not because he loved the Royal family, but because he wanted Mido and his friends to leave, because he didn't want his people to die and because he was furious enough to want to kill.

* * *

**A.N.- How are my action scenes? I've never written something like this before, so I would love feedback. Also, how do people feel about Matsuda's character development? I'm trying to do something like the original series, where he starts kinda goofy and goo natured, but is pretty tough due to horrible hardships by the end. Also, how do people feel about Mello and the northerners? How about Mikami?**

**Hopefully the next chapter will be the final part of the battle, and Light will return to the story.**


	14. The city of fire

**A.N.- Originally this was going to be much longer, but I thought it was more powerful alone. Hopefully you'll agree.**

**Warnings/ spoiler alert- character death. Un-beta'd.**

* * *

**Previously- Light made a deal with Near, the Alfar of the North, to become an ally with him once he becomes king of the south. Near says that he wants justice and that Soichiro is not to be killed until the truth is known over Sayu and the setting-up of the northerners.**

**Mello and Soihciro fight one on one.**

**Matsuda and his men join the battle.**

**Mikami is going mad.**

**The battle in the city of flames commences.**

* * *

As the battle burned on, more men died from the flames and from the smoke than they did from the opposing army. Soon the landscape became darker and less breathable as the heavy smoke took over and engulfed the angry vermillion glow of flames.

"Matsuda!" Mogi grabbed the boy from behind and whirled him around. He almost jumped when he saw Matsuda's face; he was covered in blood and gore, some of it his own, but what was worse were his empty, blank eyes.

'I'm sorry that this happened to you,' he thought to himself, but he knew that Matsuda had chosen this profession, and this was just the way things went sometimes.

"Matsuda, I need you to start getting men out of here. Everyone I've found so far I've either dragged out of this hell, or I've ordered them to help others. You still have all your limbs, so you are now on a rescue mission, forget fighting, the elves will die in these flames. Is that understood?"

"They're not elves," answered Matusda, his voice even more hoarse than Mogi's, "they're men. I've killed three of them tonight. Three." _How can I live with myself from now on_? Was what Matsuda wanted to add, but he didn't, instead it stood unspoken and uncomfortably hanging between them.

"Just do as you're told," Mogi said, "do your duty. Go."

He shoved the boy lightly before disappearing back into the smoke and fire.

Matsuda stumbled forward, _'I'll drag any of them out of this mire,' _he decided, '_not just my men, but Mello's as well. Goddess knows we never should have been here, any of us.'_

Closing his arid eyes from the thick stinging smoke, he listened carefully and followed the sound of violence. Soon he entered one place where the old public house used to be (now it was nothing but rubble) where three men were fighting. Two were Northerners, their clothes were distinguishable even in the gloom.

"Stop!" called Matsuda, his throat tearing as he did, "we all need to leave here, my kinsman, we are retreating, Northerners, I suggest you follow suit, lest we all be killed."

"Never!" cried the voice of Mikami.

"Your Majesty?" Matsuda went closer and saw that it was indeed the Prince who was fighting the two north-men. "Sir, sir we need to leave! Please come with me!"

"Let go of me you little commoner!" spat the Prince. Hanging onto his arm, Matusda could see that the Prince's hair was dishevelled and wild, his eyes were too wide, and spittle hung at his mouth; he looked mad, like a raving dog.

Out of surprise Matsuda obeyed the Prince, and released his grip on his arm.

"All your aesir are crazy," said one of the northerners to Matsuda. "We will put them all down, like the dangerous animals they are, starting with your Prince."

They ran towards Mikami, who raised his sword and let out a howl.

Matsuda watched in quiet shock as the three men's weapons clashed violently. Then one northerner spun around behind Mikami and ploughed his sword into the Prince's back.

"NO!" Matsuda heard himself cry.

Mikami fell to his knees just as Matsuda remembered himself and ran into the fray, anger and horror pounding adrenaline through his veins and giving his tired, abused body enough drive and focus to locate the men accurately in the dark in order to kill them.

First he drove his sword into the side of the north-man who had been in front of Mikami, before pulling it back out in one go and swinging it around to meet the neck of the backstabber northerner. The backstabber's scream turned into a gargle as blood spewed from both his mouth and neck, covering Matsuda in yet more crimson horror.

As the last man fell, Matsuda fell to his knees and caught the Prince who was about to fall into the mud.

"Hold on," he told the Prince, "please, stay alive milord, you'll make it, I'll take you out of here myself! I'll carry you!"

"No," whispered Mikami. He sat up, with some effort, just enough to look Matsuda in the face, "my sweet boy, brave warrior, let me stay here. Let me die on the battlefield."

Matsuda shook his head, his eyesight blurring with unshed tears, he didn't know the prince well, but that hardly mattered, none of that mattered anymore. They were both in hell, they were both fighting, they were both dying. They were brothers in arms.

"Why do you want to die?" he asked, "this is no place for you. You and Prince Light belong in your castle, on velvet thrones and hosting feasts, marrying pretty princesses and riding your great steeds. You were never meant for this drudgery."

"It is because of a pretty Princess that I do this. I love Misa and I did everything for her, gave her everything and did everything she asked of me. But all the same, all she desires is my brother, even though he's not interested in her. So cruel, for the one I love to pick the other most important person in my life. It's as if I had to choose between them both. And I chose her. To my eternal damnation, I chose her over my brother, and in my resentment I supported everything that he did not. As a result my country is steeped in blood, this city is burned, innocents are murdered and madness has settled into my father's mind. And the worst part is, she's not even kind or good. She's cruel, and petty and full of deceits. She isn't what she pretends to be. I know that now...I know..."

Mikami's eyes glazed and he stopped speaking, stopped moving, stopped breathing. Matsuda stared down at the handsome face, struggling under the heavy weight of the Prince.

"Misa did this to you," he asked, "she did something that twisted you. Can love do that?" He brushed his hand over the prince's face, shutting the eyelids. The soft, thin skin felt strange against his hand. He didn't like it.

He lowered Mikami on to the ground and stood up.

"I'm sorry sir," he said, "but I will make sure that everyone remembers you as a noble man who only wanted to do the right thing, no one needs to know you got lost on the way."

* * *

Light Yagami stood at the edge of the battlefield. The dead and wounded were all around him. He had managed to convince some doctors and healers from local villages to come post haste to attend the injured, but they were in short supply, and other villages further away would not hear the message for them to come to the Castle quickly for several hours yet.

Mogi dragged out another two men, one northerner and one southerner, Light had been strict in his orders for them to save both sides. He had been pleasantly surprised to see all the men agree to this; it seemed that during the battle all the southerners had realised that they were fighting men not supernaturals, and many of the guards who had been sent out to murder innocent, accused villagers were extremely cynical of the King's previous claims.

"I was ordered to kill a girl today," one man had griped to Light, "to kill her just because her hair had lightened slightly due to the summer sun. They were convinced she was of elvin blood, even her own family - her own parents- went along with it. Never again, milord, I'll try my best to save every man out there, though I'll never forgive myself for drowning that poor child." He had paused then before: "imagine it, nine years old and pretty as a flower. She didn't deserve what she got. And I was the one who did it."

'So much suffering,' thought Light, 'how many people will never forgive themselves for the things they have permitted and the things they've done?'

"Where is my brother!" he called to Mogi, "has anyone seen him yet? Or my father?"

"Your father still battles the alfar," said Mogi tiredly, "and I still cannot find Mikami..."

"He is dead."

Both men turned to see a blood soaked Matsuda looking over the wreckage of dead and dying men before looking at them with his solemn eyes.

Light ran over to him and gripped his shoulders. Light had always privately thought Matsuda was a stupid man, benevolent-yes, but stupid. He also knew Matsuda was no liar but the announcement that the person he loved more than anyone else in the world was dead had been so brutal and concise in delivery that he couldn't process it, and for a moment he rejected it.

"Where is Mikami?" he demanded, shaking the boy slightly, "where is he?"

"Out in the battlefield, by the old pub, which is now a ruin. He wanted to stay out there. He wanted it milord." He looked up at his old hero, "he loved the Princess, but she chose you, and he did things out of spite and I think...I think his decision to do that drove him mad. He wanted to die with honour I think. He wanted to die defending his land and trying to finish what he started."

"no," whispered Light shaking his head, in a way that reminded Matsuda so much of Mikami that it hurt his chest, "no this cannot be."

He looked out into the smoky remains of the city, the fires still blazing and still growing.

"Do not go out there my lord," warned Mogi, "it's too dangerous!"

"Yet you let this boy remain out there," argued Light, pointing to Matsuda, "I will go, I must find father. I must find Mikami, I won't let him burn out there! This nonsense war ends now!"

* * *

**Next time- the battle ends.**

* * *

**A.N.- What did you all think? Did you mind the chapter being short? Thoughts on the Misa, Mikami thing? That love story-triangle thing was in here for a reason! ;)**

**Please, leave a review, I always answer them and I love (and need) the support, and remember, I am happy to recieve con-crit. :)**


	15. Field of corpses

**A.N. - The battle finally ends n this chapter.**

**Some character death.**

**I got a review asking for more Aiber/Matsuda. Did I advertise the story with those two as title characters originally? If I did then I apologise, as Aiber isn't a main character in this and was never meant to be. I hope no one feels misled. **

**Leo, moments like what? Would you like bromance, or did you want romance? I can do more Aiber/ Matsuda, that's fine by me.**

**Incidentally, to anyone reading, if you have a fave pairing you would like to see, tell me now. The story is on it's way to being wrapped up, so now is the time to tell me because I might be able to still incorporate your pairings in.**

* * *

Mello and Soichiro stumbled together, both almost falling. They were in the heart of the fallen city where the flames were at their most intense. Their swords were chipped and scarred from the long battle. Both men were bleeding heavily.

"We shall both die of our wounds," said Soichiro breathing heavily and leaning against his sword, "and this battle shall never end."

"I'll fight you even in death," answered Mello, drooling blood and spit, "I'll fight your ghost. If we are destined to do this forever, so be it."

"And what about your lover?" exclaimed Soichiro, "don't you want to meet him when you die? How can you if your spirit is locked in eternal battle with me?"

"I do whatever the goddess wills," replied the boy-king with frightening coldness, "she killed Matt. She let you sin against me. She makes me burn with eternal hatred. If I am destined to fight you, even if it means I shall never find peace with Matt, then so be it."

There was a pause before Soichiro shook his head miserably, "I am sorry child, I am sorry this has happened to you. I know you cannot forgive me but," he looked Mello in his eyes, "truly I am sorry for what I have made of you."

Mello bared his teeth in a snarl and reared himself up like a snake about to attack when there was a loud creaking before a large piece of the burning house they were next to fell upon the young king. Mello let out a yelp before the burning timber crushed him and set him alight.

"Mello!" cried Soichiro whilst running up to the boy and putting out the flames by suffocating them under his cloak. "My goddess! Mello, are you alright?"

Half of the boy's face had been burned. Deep blue eyes opened and peered at the king; they were tired eyes, too tired for one so young. The burned side of the face twisted and mangled what were once handsome features. It was symbolic, perhaps, of the broken creature Mello had become.

"Father!" called a voice in the flames. "Father?"

"Light!" called out Soichiro, "my son, I am here, come to me!"

Sure enough Light stepped into the ring of fire. His face was set in a scowl. He was soaked in blood and an equally dirtied sword was in his hand. They looked at each other for a moment; son standing in gore whilst his father was kneeling down beside a dying youth.

"I had to kill people just to get here," Light finally spoke, his voice dead and cold. "I wanted to save everyone, but I did the opposite, I killed them instead." Bitterness fell into Light's voice then, "why have you done this to me? I blame you! You let this happen! You were my father and you were supposed to raise me properly, but now look at me! What is right and what is wrong? Am I on the right team or the wrong team? I've done terrible things, things I would have said were evil three months ago, but look at me now!"

"I know Light," answered Soichiro quietly, "I thought I was on the right side. I thought I was doing the right thing. "

"I've called the men away," Light glanced away, the bitterness in his voice being choked back and something coolly professional took its place, "we're retreating, as are the alfar's people. Is that the Alfar himself?" Soichiro nodded. "Mikami is dead," continued Light, "he is dead..."

"No!" Yelled Soichiro, shocked by the news and the bloodless way it was given, "Mikami? Mikami is dead? No, not my boy! Where is he? WHERE IS HE LIGHT?"

"At the old pub. I saw his body myself. I could not even carry him back home. The flames were too high, the smoke is too thick and our enemies have nothing to lose so they just keep attacking, even though they are blind and dying."

Soichiro ran before his son had even finished speaking and Light let him. He walked over to Mello and knelt beside him.

"You are dying, my Alfar," Light whispered.

"I am not your Alfar," Mello whispered back, death throes shaking his slim body.

"I met your brother. Justice will be served and Soichiro my father shall not rule again."

"And let me guess, you will take the throne?"

"Yes."

"Of course," Mello spluttered out a choked chuckle, "you southerners are all betrayers and back-stabbers."

"I am saving us from anything like this happening again! Rest in peace, not hatred, for Matt will be avenged."

"If _you_ will be my avenger, then I have died for no-" but before the Alfar could finish his words, his eyes glazed and his head rolled back. Mello was dead.

"I hope you do find Matt and find peace," whispered Light, "but if you become a restless spirit, it was your own reckless hatred that has caused it."

He shut the Alfar's eyes, (regretfully as they were so beautiful) before walking back towards the castle, his sword out just in case anyone else attacked him.

With Mello dead and the soldiers on both sides dying, the war was now officially over.

xxXXxx

The following morning was grey and the stench of charred bodies polluted the air. Birds of prey circled in the sky and the people knew that by nightfall wolves and other carnivores would be arriving having catching the scent of death.

Matsuda and Mido were knee-deep in dead bodies and debris; they were just two of the surviving guard left in charge of untangling the corpses from the ground and one another so that they could be properly buried.

It was an unpleasant job, to say the least, but someone had to do it.

"Here's another one of ours," called Mido. Matsuda looked over. Mido had pulled off a massive beam from a charred body that looked like it had been wearing armour at one point. So far, amongst the various corpses of southern guards, north-men and townsfolk civilians, they had found the corpses of Higuchi, Takuo, Taylor and Stephen. Mogi had been found alive, but seriously injured, and was rushed to the castle so that his wounds could be treated. There wasn't much hope for his survivial.

"Can you recognise his face?"

Mido peered down, "not really but...but I think it may have been Ukita."

Matsuda plodded over awkwardly, slipping a few times, until he knelt down next to his friend inspecting the body. The face was pitch black and the mouth was wide open in a permanent scream. However, the features, whilst distorted, were those of Ukita's.

"Blessed be the goddess who will carry this soul away," intoned the two young men, as tradition would have it.

"He was a good man," sighed Matsuda, wishing he could say something less typical and more meaningful, but in the field of corpses, with the stench of death all around them and the heavy knowledge that the war had been senseless, neither of them could find the words.

Mido saw Matsuda's sadness and put his hand on his back. "Remember what Prince Light said my friend. The fair haired ones will be back soon. You'll get to see Aiber again."

Matsuda put on a small smile, but it felt broken and insincere.

Earlier that day, just before the dawn had broken, Light had come up to the two men. He looked cleaner and still more glamorous than Matsuda or Mido, after all, Light joined the battle very late, and was wearing the finest armour. He looked like a hero, overall. However, like the rest of them he also looked very tired and much older than Matsuda had ever remembered. But when Light looked at them, he suddenly looked even sadder and even older. Matsuda wasn't sure why but he didn't ask. He didn't need to know; everyone was growing up, himself included and one thing Matsuda had learned was that being a grown up meant you held inside your heart a lot of sadness.

After a moment, Light seemed to harden, and when he looked back up he asked the boys, "do you remember when you were out in the bogs? Out with Aiber and Rester and the others?"

"How could we ever forget?" sighed Mido, "it was horrible out there. I had bug bites all over me that have turned into scars now."

Light smiled slightly, but continued in a strong, but quiet, voice, "do you remember that I said I wanted you to know how much I appreciated you, even if others in my family did not?"

"Yes sir," both men straightened, beginning to understand what was going on.

"Well, did you believe me and do you still now?"

There was a silence and the two young men looked at each other sideways. They remembered the bogs, and they remembered what Light had implied back then, and they remembered the decision they had made; they remembered who they believed the smart money was on should the Yagami family ever rise up against one another.

"Yes sir."

"And you are loyal to me?"

"Yes sir."

"Me alone?"

A beat before, "yes sir."

Light smiled grimly. "Good, honesty and loyalty are hard things to find nowadays. I am glad I have found it in you two. You have proven yourselves capable men. While many have died in this battle, revealed themselves to be cowards, or lost their minds, you have both remained sober enough to even do this," he gestured helplessly at the mire they stood in, "the day after a terrible battle. I am happy to have you as my followers. I promise you this, when I am king you shall both be promoted to Knighthood, as shall your wronged friend Aiber and Rester." Somehow Light lowered his voice even more, though no one was near to them and so couldn't have heard what he had said before, "The king is guilty of treason. He put us all in unnecessary danger and has had his kinsmen killed. I believe others may have had a heavy contribution in his downfall. When I give the word, you are to arrest both my father, my mother, the royal advisor Takada and," he leaned forward to whisper, "and even the Princess Misa. Do not be fooled by any of them. Do you understand?"

He leaned back and watched them closely. Both men were expressionless.

"Yes sir," they answered again in unison.

Light let out a breath he had been holding. Now all he had to do was wait for Near.


	16. Night time

**A.N. Not gonna lie, this chapter isn't important for the plot AT ALL. I've had a number of requests for more LxL and AiberxMatsuda, so I've decided to add some extra chapters focusing on pairings and developing them. **

**This chapter is LxL fluff, and the next one will be focused on Matsuda** **and Aiber, and maybe their relationships with their friends as well. MxA weren't a planned pairing in this, but I'm happy to do that, if that's what folks want (it won't disrupt the storyline) so if you have any pairings or any characters you want more focus on, let me know and I'll see what I can do :)**

* * *

Light woke with a start, breathing heavily, sweating profusely and feeling his body shaking slightly.

His window was open and he could feel the night air gently brushing against his exposed torso. He shivered and sighed ready to fall back asleep when he suddenly shrieked like a girl and sat up, unconsciously pulling up his blanket to cover his nipples.

L was sitting on the window ledge. He looked like an over-sized mad owl with his wild hair and big eyes. Cocking his head to one side and asked if Light had been having a nightmare. Light refused to answer and instead bit out, "what do you want?"

"Near Alfar of the North-men, has almost completed his journey, he will be wanting an audience with you soon."

"So you have been with him all this time? Why do you support him so much? With me I hardly ever see you, even though I'm more tangled up in this craziness than anyone else."

There was a brief silence before L hopped off the window ledge and crawled over anxiously to lights bed. He sat on the floor, his wide eyes just peering over the side of the mattress, he looked so silly- like a little child and the foot of his parents bed- that Light had to stifle a chuckle before telling him to 'stop being stupid and come on to the bed.'

As Light felt the mattress lower from the weight, his heartbeat began to pick up. He suddenly realised that he couldn't even look at the elf. But still he asked, "a-aren't you cold? You can come under the blankets with me if you like."

It wasn't cold. Winter had just arrived, but the weather was going through a momentary warm phrase (the superstitious were saying it was a positive omen that the goddess approved of the end of the war, but others said it was the ghosts of those innocents burned in Royal Town and as false elves, coming back and heating the world unnaturally.) Still, L climbed under the covers and shivered slightly. Light wondered if he was cold, or if it was because L had just brushed his bare arm against Light's chest as he lay down.

"I can stay a little, as you seem to miss me so much," L whispered.

Light smiled and nodded, he liked being next to L and as he ordered his heart to stop pounding he answered in a deceptively calm and authoritarian tone, "stay until morning, I can't concentrate on your nonsense in the middle of the night. So stay and we shall discuss Near tomorrow."

"Alright," Light could sense L's smirk.

L shuffled about a little before deciding to curl up like a croissant next to the rigidly straight Light.

"Good night."

"Good night."

Light fell asleep quickly, leaving L alone with his thoughts. The creature shifted again, feeling strange around the Prince. He hadn't liked Light much at first, and he still didn't in some ways. He found Light to be demanding and stern, traits that he did not like and did not share. But still there was something about Light that kept attracting L like a moth to a flame. L looked at the smooth tan face, full lips, long eyelashes and auburn hair. Light was pretty, but it wasn't that which attracted L. L had seen many beautiful creatures in his time, many far more beautiful than Light, but he didn't feel the strange feeling deep within his stomach with them.

L lifted up his long pale fingers and just barely brushed Light's hair, letting his fingertips feel the smooth silky locks without ruffling them. He felt a spark of electric pulse through them quickly and he drew his hand away, panting slightly and feeling happy but nauseous all at once.

L didn't like humans. He didn't like the way that they had a hierarchy, he didn't like that they couldn't use magic, he didn't like how arrogant they were whilst being so ignorant. Light seemed to embody all of these things, yet here L was snuggling up to him.

"_This is all Uncle Watari's fault, if he hadn't insisted on warning the humans about the treachery, I never would have met Light and I wouldn't be feeling this way."_

He remembered how difficult it had been to explain to the fairies and elves why they had to save the fair haired humans, why they had to keep them alive in their realm, even though humans are ugly and smelly and stupid. He remembered how they had shouted and complained...

"Your nephew is insane!" Hrothgar, an annoying little troll yelled at Uncle Watari whilst flinging a boot at the elderly man.

Watari neatly sidestepped the boot, "I believe that this situation has been partly been caused by us. We need to take a degree of responsibility. Helping the innocent humans will do this."

Hrothgar made a strange 'braaaagh' noise in disagreement, whilst a fairy with sharp fangs hummed, "I think we should take in the babies...poor, sweet little children with fair hair... so sweet..."

"No eating the children!" shouted L as the fairy began to drool and fangs began to appear over her pink, plump lips. "We are supposed to actually look after them!"

"Look after them!" shrieked a pixie out of the crowd of magical creatures, "oh goddess, how would we do that?" It whizzed around the meeting hall in a panic screaming out all the things that could go wrong. "The children will run riot, they could burn the place down with their fires, they might kill us all in a jealous rage because of our powers...!"

L sighed and looked up at the roof. The meeting was taking place in a magical forest, where a group of ash trees had grown in a circle, long branches stretching over one another, forming a roof and protecting everyone within that circle. On the ground was soft moss, which the mostly naked participants of the fairyland council now sat arguing over L and Watari's proposal.

"This is going to be very difficult," he heard Watari whisper in his ear, "there simply isn't enough trust between the fey and the humans. I don't think we can do this Lawliet."

"We have to try," he answered, keeping his voice low, "we can't just leave them to all be burned."

Watari gave him a strange look, raising one bushy eyebrow at him, "and why do you care all of a sudden? Before you were happy to let them all be tricked and to die. We knew what was happening long ago, but only now you care."

There was a taught silence between them, and as the blood pumped furiously in his ears as adrenaline was released into his veins and his breath sped up, L began to feel his body shake before he turned around, facing the audience of creatures and cried out, "this is our chance! Don't any of you understand, don't you see? This is our chance to finally beat the humans. By doing this we will show that we are the morally superior ones, that we are the ones who can put prejudice aside for the sake of justice. They will realise their folly soon enough, I will make sure to work with the human Princes so that the foolish prejudices that have caused the humans calamity will be revealed, but if we then show that we were protecting humans all along, then they will have to accept that we are good and kind and better than they in every way. This is our chance to win.

"There will be stories about this that will last for centuries in the human realm, stories of how we saved their innocents because they themselves could not.

"All it will take is a little sacrifice, a few months of our time, maybe not even that long. We live for so long, a few weeks is nothing. We can endure for the sake of a lasting reputation and deserved respect of the human race."

The fey began to mutter amongst themselves, the shift of tone already apparent. L hid a smirk, the few were all alike, none of them liked being told they were wrong or responsible, so Watari was on the losing track with that. No, the fey were all child-like in that they loved to always be right, and they had a sense of justice (though it was admittedly warped through their determination to always win and always be right, but it was a sense of justice nonetheless, and it was better than humans, some of whom had no sense of justice or morality at all.)

"If there are no more objections," he continued, quieter this time as the rabble were now calm and tame, "then we will use these two men to help find deserving humans who will not misbehave in our realm, and who will help us take care of the humans." He gestured to Aiber and Rester to come out of the shadows. The two men looked fairly anxious in the realm of magical creatures, L could see Rester staring at the antlers of a Faun, and Aiber was smiling nervously as a Dhampir who was licking his lips and waggling his tongue suggestively at the blond.

L smiled at the two men as brightly as he could before flinging them into the crowd.

"This will be a great victory for us!"

L blinked, shaking himself out of his memory and looked at Light again. He had talked big about victory and justice and winning, and he had meant it too, but there was more to it than that, he knew it and Watari knew it, though the old man had been kind enough not to ask L too many questions after his speech.

"_I feel like I am winning something,"_ he brushed Light's hair again, his fingers tingling, _"but if it's this boy, then I'm in a lot of trouble. Humans are no good, everyone knows that."_

Suddenly Light shifted and opened his eyes. L froze, suddenly feeling afraid.

Light blinked hazily. The breeze from the open window didn't seem as refreshing now, but he felt warm and comfortable in his bed and didn't want to get up to close it. What had woken him up?

Then he remembered L perched on the windowsill, and before he could ask himself if it was a dream, he looked to his left to see the mess of jet black hair belonging to the fey creature.

"L," he whispered almost reverently which made L look up with dark, wide eyes, "you're still here?"

L nodded, pushing himself up so that he and Light were face to face, lying side by side, their faces sharing the same pillow.

Light blinked drowsily. It was funny how you almost felt drunk when you were asleep, his thoughts were slow and fuzzy and he could feel that he was running on his emotions rather than logic.

"I'm glad, L, I like seeing you and I like you being by me. Do you feel it too?"

L said nothing, but looked at Light questioningly.

"That pull, L, that connection, the spark when we are together. I know I don't know you well...but I want to, I want to understand you and your kind, L..."

Light bought up his hand under the covers, dragging it softly against L's back, up past his neck and into the thick, spiky hair.

"I shouldn't like you, you're nothing like me...you're everything I thought I..."

"Everything you thought you despised," breathed L, finishing the sentence that he himself had thought so often when musing on the Prince.

Light smiled, "yeah...maybe...maybe now that things are beginning to change, maybe I can get to know you. I'll be king one day and, and I can change things, I'll make it easier for us. For you."

L said nothing, his face a mask, but inwardly he knew that even with an open minded king on the throne, the normal lay-men in the field would still bear fears and grudges against the Fey and especially the elves. But in that magical moment, with the snow softly drifting from outside into the bedroom, with the heavy moonlight shining off Light so beautifully, with Light being so honest and open in his tired state, L didn't want to ruin the moment with his reason and cynicism. Instead he did something he never thought he would do. He leaned forward, closing the short distance between him and the Prince and placed a very gentle and very chaste kiss on Lights lips.

"I swear," he whispered, binding the oath with simple, but old, magic, "I swear that when the kingdom begins to heal, I shall be by your side and I will try to..." he looked into Lights eyes, "explore this...spark between us."

Light grinned with such childish delight it almost made L laugh, but Light pushed their faces close, rubbing their noses together affectionately, before falling promptly back to sleep.

Using his magic, L warmed the air around the Prince, determined the boy wouldn't wake up cold again, not with him around.

* * *

A.N.- Was the flashback clear enough or should I have put in page breaks? I'm terrible for spelling errors, so please point out any you may see.

Questions- was the dialogue ok? Was it awkward, unrealistic or stilted?

I never write fluff (I'm an angst, horror kinda writer) so please let me know if it was ok or if it needs working on. I wanted them to acknowledge something was going on between them, but it's early days and I didn't want anything big to happen, they're still getting to know one another at this point.


	17. Return

The night that Light snuggled up to his anxious elf the land was in deep mourning. Winter looked beautiful, but it was darkest time for the paupers of the land. Most of their children would die in the winter. Even strong men and women in their prime could be struck down by winter-borne illness. But there was even more reason to mourn now. The land had lost many of its people to a war that had been naught but madness and paranoia. The people of the south had to accept that they had killed their own for no good reason and that they had almost wiped out the north tribes for a crime they hadn't committed. News that the north men were mere men had travelled quickly around the south. People flocked to the churches of their goddess praying for forgiveness and for the souls of the fallen to be allowed in heaven.

Around about one in the morning a strange atmosphere settled on the land. This was at the same time that L had used his magic around Light to warm him up. All around everyone began to feel a strange fuzzy heat. People woke up, dazed and confused, and began to wander into their gardens and into the streets. The farmers stood out into their fields looking for something but what they did not know. The land was at a stand still waiting for something as the snow fell slowly and the moon bore down her pure white light.

No one spoke, people barely dared to breath.

Then, out of the shadows and from the deep forests and over the hills, they began to appear.

All the lost men and women of fair hair, all the blond children rescued from the angry southerners.

Parents and siblings cried out in joy and relief, running to their missing family members, scooping up their blonde haired lovers or children; hugging and weeping into the necks of those they thought were lost forever to the fey or killed by their neighbours.

There was also disappointment. Many people walked about the land, calling the names of those they had lost, but no one returned their calls; the fey had not managed to save everyone; and so many people fell to their knees or limped home realising their wives or husbands or young children had no survived the genocide.

These lonely figures looked like ghosts, all around them were their neighbours weeping with joy and hugging their family members and spouses, but they wove in between those people bereft and lost and heart-broken.

From on top a tree, Near, Alfar of the North watched with back eyes. He did not know these lost souls, and though he knew they were southerners and that they had most likely bought on their misery on themselves, he could not help but feel a kinship with them. _"I know what it is to walk silently in a desolate land, where everyone is in love but never with you, where no one can acknowledge your sadness because then they would be forced to share in it. I understand that," _he thought of Matt and Mello and how much they had loved each other.

He thought of his jealousy over the years and how he never acted upon his jealousy, how could he? He wasn't a bad man, he didn't want to ruin their happiness. But in the end their love had destroyed one another. He looked back at a young man who, hollow-eyed at not finding his blonde wife or fair haired son, had accepted their deaths and now walked slowly to an icy ravine certain that life without them wasn't a life at all_._

"_I'll avenge you,"_ swore Near, _"I know the truth now, and I shall avenge you. Those who prayed on your ignorance shall pay for their evil."_

When all of this was happening Matsuda had been in a pub. He had been sitting outside. His head was fuzzy from the long hours of drinking. Since the end of the war he had practically lived in the pub. Being a soldier they were happy to let him stay for a cheaper price than most and now that he had a good job he could afford it. In fact he had received a pay rise as thanks for his 'stalwart behaviour' during the battle. Matsuda knew that the only reason they could afford to pay him more was because there was less people in the army to pay now thanks to the genocide and the battle. That was another change, Matsuda was an official man of an army now. He was no longer a mere guard. Light had decided that a proper distinction needed to be made.

Matsuda took a deep drink of his mug. He thought vaguely of Mikami's death and Ukita's twisted features. He shuddered. He wasn't able to sleep, memories of the war plagued him constantly. Even worse he was even beginning to get these nightmares whilst he was awake, it was madness. He thought he should maybe talk to someone about it, but Light was busy and Mido just wanted to sleep, drink and have sex with as many women as he could. Matsuda didn't blame him. He didn't feel much like talking anyway. He hadn't even been back to his old village. He knew that some must have died back in the genocide, and nearly everyone in that village had been a friend of his (even if he had annoyed them all with his clumsiness) but he was a different person now and he just could not face any of them. What if they knew that he was one of the men that actually set Matt alight, therefore being a major part in starting the entire battle? He took another swig and discovered that his mug was empty. No, it was better that he stayed away, at least for now, at least until he worked out what was happening in his own mind.

The air heated up around him, and he felt the strange urge to stand. All around him people began to walk out of the taverns and out of their homes. They watched and gasped as the fair-haired strangers materialised out of the shadows. People began to laugh and cheer, hugging the blondes.

Matsuda strained his eyes at all the blondes. Aiber and Rester! They had to be coming! Immediately he remembered Rester's fatherly ways, he remembered Aiber's good looks and handsome ways, he remembered how he brushed his hand through his long blond locks and how he had grinned at Matsuda. He remembered how they shared a tent together, often huddling close for the sake of keeping warm. Matsuda began to run through the crowds. He was a little shaky on his feet, due to the snow and his drunkenness. God he wanted to see them again, he wanted to share a bed with Aiber, to feel close to someone again. He was best friends with Mido, but there was a difference between how he loved Mido and how he loved Aiber, he had always known that. Mido was his friend, his best friend, but Aiber...Aiber was...

"_Wait, they'll probably want to see their families before me,"_ he realised suddenly, skidding to a halt and slipping into the snow, his heart sinking a little. He wanted to see them.

He then heard a deep chuckle behind him, "still as clumsy as you ever were."

Matsuda whipped his head around to see Aiber smiling behind him. It was as if is heart burst and all the misery and unhappiness was blasted away, at least for a few moments.

"Aiber!" he scrambled to his feet shakily and pulled Aiber into a one-armed many hug. Aiber grunted and frowned, a little taken back at Matsuda's strength and 'manly' actions. Aiber wrapped both arms around the boy and pulled him into a real hug, smiling as he felt Matsuda sigh and lean his head on the older man's chest. Matsuda's arms hung loose at his sides for a while before he hesitantly bought them up and around Aiber's back.

"I missed you," whispered Aiber, his lips on Matsuda's head.

Matsuda closed his eyes. He didn't trust himself to talk. Instead he breathed in Aiber's scent. He had missed Aiber too. Before he had thought of his relationship with Aiber as something other, but still friendly. Now, with his experiences with women and the horrors of war upon him, he began to recognise the feeling. Before he thought love was like what he felt for Misa, and to him in his naivety he saw love and lust as one in the same, as good pure things. But he knew that wasn't true. Love was a powerful, terrible force that could make men go mad (he flashed back to a bloodied and raving Mikami on a fiery battlefield) he knew that lust could be without love or compassion. He hadn't felt much for the women he paid for with Mido, shortly after the battle the boys swore to lose their virginities by any means, even if it meant paying for it. Sex had not been loving or sweet, it had been angry and furious as Matsuda worked out his frustration on the girl. He hadn't hit her, but he hadn't been a gentleman with her. She hadn't minded though. She had taken his money, dressed and winked at him before leaving. He didn't say a word, he never spoke to her even once. He had purposely gotten someone who didn't look like Misa, this girl had brown eyes and black hair, a typical southerner. The thought of sleeping with anyone with blond hair and blue eyes either made him feel angry with memories of Misa or sad with memories of Aiber.

Matsuda stood on his tip toe so he could reach past Aiber's chest place his face onto the man's neck. He could feel Aiber's pulse going up.

The blond let out a nervous chuckle, "you have grown up in a few weeks haven't you?"

Sliding an arm from Aiber's back, under his arm and up to his neck feeling up to the side of his face Matsuda grunted in agreement and pulled Aiber's hair so that his face was pulled down close to Matsuda's.

Their noses brushed slightly as Matsuda parted his lips to place his tongue against Aibers lips just for a moment, just to get a taste, before Aiber opened his mouth and kissed the smaller man gently. Matsuda bit Aiber's lip, only knowing harshness and wanting that brutality within the act of sex. Aiber pushed back, creating a sudden cold space between them.

As Matsuda frowned in confusion Aiber took the man's head and stared into his eyes, "you are drunk?"

"What does that matter?" asked Matsuda, attempting to go in for another kiss.

"No, not like this," sighed Aiber, placing a friendly arm around Matsuda's shoulders and ruffling the brunets hair, "I like you a lot Matsuda. I wanted this. I didn't know you did as well. But I don't want you like this. You probably don't even know what you are doing!"

Matsuda broke away completely from under Aiber's arm and glowered at him. "Don't patronise me," he slurred as Aiber looked at him incredulously, "you don't know! You don't know the things I've done or the things I've seen. I'm not a little boy. Not some little thing you can baby and find cute. If that's what you want," Matsuda began to walk drunkenly, brushing past Aiber, "then go find some silly virgin, because that isn't me."

Aiber sighed and grabbed Matsuda's arm, pulling him back. Matsuda fell into Aiber's chest and was forced to look up at the man he had pined for for so long.

"I don't want a silly little lamb," smiled Aiber, "though that is part of your charm, and still is, whether you like it or not." He righted Matsuda and looked at him with a serious expression, "I can see that you are hurting. Come with me. My home is nearby. You will like it. It's a cottage out of the way. It will not take long to get to. I want you to stay with me, to sleep with me, just sleeping!" he added when Matsuda grinned lecherously, which looked odd on his face. "Then tomorrow," Aiber continued when the grin was replaced with a rolling of eyes, "I want us to talk. I shall tell you the things I have seen. And you shall tell me the horrors you have endured." He brushed down Matsuda's shaggy hair before resting his hands at the nape of his neck and rubbing the smaller, baby hairs there. Matsuda sighed in relief and willed the tears in his eyes not to show.

Aiber felt overcome. What had happened to his sweet boy?

Leaning forward he placed a chaste kiss on his forehead before leading to what would be _their_ home from now on.

* * *

**A.N.- I'm sorry this took so long :( I have a week off work so I'm trying to catch up with all my fanfics. So this was the slightly more fluffy piece I promised for those who wanted MatsudaxAiber. This chapter is a bit more connected with the rest of the story however. I imagine PTSD is something soldiers had in the old days but no one knew what it was. I also wanted to add in some more of the fallout of the war; prejudice has long reaching consequences.**

**Did you like this chapter?**

**I hope you did!**


	18. The return of the Aesir Albino

An albino boy came out of the snow, his body wrapped in a thick grey cloak. He rapped on the doors of the Royal Town. A watchman, a dark-skinned, black-haired boy who was no older than thirteen, looked down cautiously holding out his flaming torch.

"Who goes there?"

"I have come to see Prince Light. I have news for him of grave importance."

"You have yet to tell me your name sir!"

Near pulled back his hood and stared up at the boy. "I am what you folk would have once thought was an elf." He saw the boy pale and step back on the wall, "do not be afraid, I hold no ill will. Your bronze Prince knows me. Take me to him or bring him here. In any case, I need to speak to him urgently."

The boy then licked his lips before disappearing from view. After a few minutes of waiting in the snow, one large wooden door to the town opened. The boy and many others were there, their backs straightened from fear and tension, but their minds were open. They led Near in who commented on how fast the walls were being re-built.

"There wasn't too much damage on them," said one boy cautiously, "the wood of our forests is very strong. The inside of our town hasn't been so lucky."

Indeed, there was still much fire damage and ruined buildings on the inside. It made the town look like a strange ghost town, the blackened skeletons of the buildings juxtaposed against the pure ethereal whiteness of the snow.

"Many have had to leave the town completely," explained the boy as they continued their slow walk to the castle, those that had been flanking them slowly drawing away to return to their posts on the wall, "they now live on the outskirts of the forest, now that they are not so scared of the faeries and elves out there they feel they can do it. But still, it's winter and living in or by the woods in the winter is very dangerous because the wolves and bears and wildcats are hungry. People are not letting their children outside for fear they'll be carried off and eaten."

"Bu here you are working."

"I'm not a child," he said petulantly before adding quietly, "I was there in the war. My entire family is gone. I want to protect what is left of my town, even if there is nothing alive here except for those in the castle."

"What is your name boy?"

"Stephen...Stephen of the Gevanni clan."

"And your clan is gone?"

"Yes. The Alfar's forces wiped them out."

"I am sorry." Near had spoken his words without feeling, but he had meant them. It wasn't right that Mello had killed others in his vengeful fury. What had the likes of Stephen ever done wrong? At worst they had been slightly ignorant. But then again, the north had sent Matt in hopes of educating the south, and all that happened was Matt being murdered horribly. Perhaps a great tragedy had needed to happen; both nations unnecessarily bruised and even the fey folk stretched to magical exhaustion from baby-sitting the hundreds of humans in their realm. No one had escaped unscathed. And to think, all of this happened over a lost princess.

They climbed up the hill until they reached the castle. Where Ukita and Mogi had once stood and laughed at a poor farm-hand, now the said Farmhand Matsuda stood with his friend Mido.

Both boys were less pretty now. They were somewhat scarred and had a far meaner glint in their eyes. They stared at Near.

"He says he has important news for the Prince."

The men looked at one another before Mido asked, "what is your name?"

"Near."

"His Majesty has been waiting for you." He nodded at Stephen, "you were right to bring him in Stephen."

Stephen sighed and smiled slightly, worried he had let in an enemy. He waved good-bye to the albino before running back to his post. Near watched him for some time, the guards waiting patiently, before he turned away and entered the castle.

Meanwhile, Light stood arguing with his father.

"Why have you had Takada put into our jail?" the king demanded.

"Because she actively encouraged the murder of the elves," answered Light lazily and without any of his previous awe or respect. They were in the Throne Hall, Light draped over the throne itself. Behind him, partially covered in shadows, crouched L watching the events with wide un-blinking eyes.

"It was my decision to execute those who we thought were elves," argued Soichiro before he narrowed his eyes at is son, "you're hurting your mother Light, by defying and undermining me in front of my people."

"You undermined your own authority with your poor decisions, I'm trying to fix our nation and our reputation."

"Everything I did I did to try and save your little sister, the one you've forgotten about."

"I have not forgotten her! I have not betrayed my family, not like you! I didn't have so few guards and now army to speak of so that we had no men to go find Sayu to begin with, I never got Mikami killed, I didn't invite the wrath of the north. You realise all of this nonsense with the war has depleted our already small resources, how can we find Sayu now?"

"The reason why we had so few guards and no army was because, thanks to me, the kingdom was safe! We had no enemies. My belief that the northerners had taken Sayu was reasonable under the circumstances. When did I raise you to become so judgemental? It is hard to be a king, Light, morality is not simple, it is not black or white, there are shades of grey throughout. One day, when you are king, you will need to make tough decisions and perhaps even sacrifice someone else, and then you shall realise what it is to be an adult, to lose that innocence and realise that you are as corruptible and as flawed as anyone else!"

There was a knock on the door, both men yelling 'come in', before Mido and Matsuda arrived with Near.

"Ah, father," Light leapt to his feet and began to walk towards the small party, "meet my northern friend, Near one of the Aesir from the north kingdom and young brother of the man you murdered."

Near's blank eyes focused on the king, "I am Near, brother of the fallen Alfar Mello."

Soichiro bowed his head respectfully, "your brother was a brave warrior who fought valiantly. I am sorry for the bad blood between our nations."

Near nodded solemnly before saying, "I have been walking amongst the different kingdoms in our great continent. I have discovered some things which may explain why this war happened between us. May I sit?"

A few minutes later Near was sitting at a grand table with Soichiro, Sachiko and Light. L was still lingering in the background, this time sitting quietly on a window ledge. Light had also insisted on Mido, Matsuda, Aiber and Rester being there.

Near sipped gently some malt wine Light had ordered and after a moment's silence whilst the other sat on tenterhooks, he began;

"I have travelled far and wide collecting information. It was all very simple really. Very easy. I'm surprised you hadn't worked it out yourselves. Even I was taken aback by the speed in which I worked it out and so I took my time a little, watching your people over-coming the hardships wrought upon them by the genocide you endorsed and the war. If it is of any consolation, King Soichiro, you and your people are victims almost as much as the North were. You paid the price for the sake of another country's misery.

Think, my friends, when did everything begin to go wrong?"

"When the Princess vanished," answered Matsuda, "she vanished one night."

"The night that he first appeared," Soichiro looked over at L, who simply stared back. "He came with his supposed uncle, dancing around a twisted jig and speaking in terms of magic and witchery."

"He did not!" bit out Light in frustration making his mother gasp his name in horror, "he did not! He simply warned us! They tried to do us a service and all that happened was them getting demonised in the process."

"It's alright Light," said a calm voice. They turned to see L talking for the first time in front of them all, "it wasn't our people who died. None of ours suffered, not like the humans. And it wasn't a twisted jig, it was a graceful dance that you were lucky to witness. My mother taught me to dance like that."

Light rolled his eyes whilst his men stared in confusion before looking away; Matsuda and the others didn't quite know what to make of L and felt that they never would. Soichiro frowned, he disliked L. He hadn't trusted the scruffy-haired being when he first arrived in their court and he certainly didn't trust him now. Since three nights ago he had been lingering about his son, his son who was acting strangely and aggressively. Soichiro believed that the elf was perhaps affecting Light, as clearly L was evil, one could tell that by the way that he looked, but Soichiro couldn't announce these fears to anyone but his wife as, since the debacle with the northerners, he could not prove his theory.

"You are right sir," said Near, completely unfazed by L's weirdness and effectively ignoring him to talk to Soichiro, "to connect that party you held with the disappearance of your daughter. But you were suspicious of the wrong people. You judge too easily on appearance and that is your downfall. The elves were not the only strangers in your castle that day."

"What do you mean?" asked Soichiro just as Light said, "the celebration was for the princesses...good goddess...the foreign princesses?"

"And who has been in your home since Sayu's disappearance?"

"Misa," they all said in hushed tones.

"But why?" asked Sachiko, "she seems like such a sweet girl, very in love with our poor son Mikami...why would she do this?"

"She never loved Mikami," said Matsuda, speaking up again, "Milady, I found your son in the burning ruins during the battle in royal town. He was dying and he said that Misa never loved him. She wanted to marry his brother, Prince Light, which bought in Mikami's jealousy. It...I believed he was driven mad by the situation."

"Let's bring in the girl," said Light gravely, "let's hear what she has to say for herself."

* * *

**A.N. Ok, so we're slowly coming full-circle and will start getting some answers! I think I mention Stephen a few chapters back as being one of the guards, I'll go double-check, but I thought him being a kid was still reasonable as in the middle ages young boys were put out to work as soon as they could handle it. I think this story might be a bit longer than expected, simply because I feel like some characters have been neglected in this very large cast, and I would like to round some of them out whilst still keeping the plot moving forward.**

**I hope that's ok with everyone.**

**So smaller chapter this week, but at least it's up and out right? I hope you liked this chapter, even though it wasn't actin-packed and quite expositiony. It'll be like that for a little while as the whole'thing' comes out, but hopefully after that we can go back to concentrating on characters and get some medieval-fairytale action happening again before the end.**

**:)**

**TTFN**


	19. Near's story

**Last time:** Matsuda and Mido are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the war. They engage in drinking and casual sex. The blondes are released from the elvin world. Matsuda and Aiber unite and tenuously admit affections for one another that may be more than friendship, but Aiber is unwilling to commit to a sexual relationship whilst Matsuda is unwell. Light and his father are at odds with one another; Light no longer respecting the King. In turn Soichiro believes Light is being too judgemental and possibly being affected by L who hasn't left Light's side in three days. Takada is in the castle prisons curtsey of Light. Near arrives and announces to Soichiro:

"_**You are right sir, to connect that party you held with the disappearance of your daughter. But you were suspicious of the wrong people. You judge too easily on appearance and that is your downfall. The elves were not the only strangers in your castle that day."**_

"_**What do you mean?" asked Soichiro just as Light said, "the celebration was for the princesses...good goddess...the foreign princesses?"**_

"_**And who has been in your home since Sayu's disappearance?"**_

"_**Misa," they all said in hushed tones.**_

And now Misa is called to answer for herself.

xxXXxx

Misa Amane, the beautiful blonde princess, stood in her chambers staring out into the wild, snowy wilderness of the southern lands.

It was beautiful. The moon shone down, highlighting the un-driven snow. She could see the ugly remains of Royal Town poking out of the pure white innocence. It was hideous.

"They should have burned it down completely," she muttered to herself, "it is horrible to look upon, like leaving out a rotted corpse to deteriorate in the elements instead of burying it decently."

There was a knock on the door before two of Light's henchmen stepped inside. They gave her cold hard stares. She smiled brightly. "Misa is so happy to see fair-haired people back in the land!" she crooned whilst clapping her hands slightly, "it is less lonesome for me now!"

Mido rolled his eyes whilst Aiber gave a tight smile, not knowing what to make of her after their conversation with the albino downstairs.

"We need you to come to the Great Hall your majesty," he said by way of answer, "Prince Light and his father need to speak to you."

"Is Light King now?" she asked, swaying on the spot and watching how her skirts fanned out. "No one calls Soichiro 'King' anymore. Has Light taken over completely?"

"You speak of treachery and usurpation," spat out Mido with such spite that it surprised Aiber, "I am certain that our good Prince has no such plans. Come downstairs, your majesty, it is of importance."

Misa closed her mouth and followed after them silently. She did not like the dark turn of events that had happened in the last few weeks after the war. She felt as if the few allies she had were all gone. She had hoped to have Light on her side by this point, but he had never really liked her. Where had she gone wrong?

As they walked down the vast twisting staircase to the Great Hall, she was flanked either side by the soldiers. She felt as if she had stopped being a guest and was now a prisoner.

They opened up the large oak doors to the Great Hall. Inside the throne sat empty. Light, his father and a number of Light's henchmen were sitting around a small makeshift table. An albino stood at the head, clothed in white and grey. His dark eyes focused on her intensely, making her afraid. She glanced away from him, unable to take the stare, only to now see the ghostly image of the dark-haired fey sitting on a window ledge, his pale skin illuminated by the snow and moon from outside.

Picking up each side of her sparkly pink skirts, she bowed and smiled coquettishly at the Royals. Soichiro smiled reservedly, worry in his eyes, and Light looked completely unmoved.

"_This is all Light's fault,"_ she thought miserably, analysing his perfect features.

"Please be seated Misa." He said.

She obeyed, placing herself at the end of the table, opposite the albino.

"Misa, tell me the truth, why have you stayed here at the castle?"

She blushed and stammered, "I believed that was a guest here. Had I known I was unwanted I would have left."

"You were wanted!" cried Soichiro, "please, do not be upset."

Matsuda looked over at the king. He understood the older man's desire to placate the princess because despite everything, Matsuda still felt his cold, damaged heart tug slightly at her embarrassment and fear. But he knew better than to say anything; he knew better than to trust her just because she was pretty and small.

"You were here for a reason," pushed Light, ignoring his father, "what was it?"

"Love," she gasped, her wide blue eyes boring into Light's, "I was here for love. I was invited, so that I could be paired with either yourself or your kind, late brother."

"Love?" sneered the honey-eyed prince, "please. Save us your lies. We've been investigating you. You came here because of the tragedy that hit your own land. You came here hunting for a husband I am sure, but that wasn't your main aim. If it was, you would have married Mikami and been done with it."

"I didn't marry Mikami because I didn't love him," she whispered, "I love you Light, I love you, and I still do."

"Nonsense!" he scoffed.

"No," said a low voice from the window. Everyone looked over to see L brushing his thumb against his bottom lip and staring at the Princess, "no, she's telling the truth Light. She does love you. In her own, twisted manner, she does love you."

"She only wants me because I was the older son," explained Light, glowering at L as if daring the elf to challenge him further. "She wanted the power and influence of a Queen, those were the perks of her plan. They must have been."

"What plan?" cried Misa, getting up and pushing back her chair, "I had no plan! I am honest. I came here to marry a prince worthy of me and my people..."

"But l your people are gone," cut in the icy tones of Near, calling attention back on to himself. "I have travelled to your home country, Princess Misa. And I have seen what it is."

"It is true, lots of bad things happened to my people, Misa is surrounded by tragedy," she looked up, blue eyes brimming with tears, "that's why I wanted to come here. I wanted a new life. Misa was so unhappy before, but with Light she could see a future. "

"What happened back in your country?" he asked, "what great tragedies surround you Princess?"

Misa took in a deep breath. She would have to tell the truth, as far as possible.

"I lived in a beautiful warm kingdom to the west of here," she began, her voice lower and more adult-like, "It was situated by the ocean and so despite only being small it became quite profitable and wealthy. A sea-side kingdom, with golden sands and blue skies and salty air. I loved it there." A brief pause. "But one day, people became sick. A disease struck our fair kingdom. The children died first, and then the elderly, and then finally the young men and women. It was awful. I left to escape the disease. I am healthy, no one here has gotten ill. I swear you were never in danger from me. I had hoped that perhaps I could start a new life here."

"Why here?" asked Light, "why this kingdom?"

"Because you were hospitable to strangers. I could not go to the north, with those vagabond tribes and violent men. To the far south are the dusty deserts where I would surely die of the heat. The eastern kingdoms seemed wisest. When I discovered that you were looking for princesses, it made sense to come here."

"You are telling half-truths," said Near blankly, "mixed in with omissions and lies. I am cleverer than you My Lady. The disease you speak of did in fact happen. The sea kingdom is now little more than a series of ghost towns. However, the disease happened five years ago, and was the last hit for a beleaguered kingdom. Before asking you what you have been up to this last half decade before coming to this kingdom, I shall fill in the rest of your story in full."

Near leaned back into his seat, presumably becoming more comfortable. His eyes closed slightly in a restful position and his gaze became unfocused and distant.

"I first began to suspect Princess Misa when I discovered that she were the only princess that stayed after the disappearance of Princess Sayu. All the other potential wives had the good grace to leave." One eyebrow lifted slightly, and Misa shuffled uncomfortably feeling the pressure rising and her face heating up, "her insensitive actions spoke of a certain desperation, or determination, but for what? A husband was the most likely answer. But why so desperate for a husband? What princess has to work so hard to find herself a suitor? A disgraced Princess would make sense. So I used a friend," he glanced over at L who nodded slightly, "to find your roots."

"You believe that dark-eyed devil," shrieked Misa suddenly, pointing at L and shocking everyone (expect Near and L) with her sudden ferocity, "over the good nature and reputation of a Princess?"

"Our people have a long history of being friendly and respectful towards the magical community," Near allowed a small sneer to grace his face for a moment, "No doubt it's one of the reasons why you chose to spite us in such a brutal and cruel manner. But I'm getting ahead of myself." He got up from the table and walked slowly to the window. L sidled off the ledge and disappeared into the shadows in a disconcerting manner that made everyone but Light and Near vaguely anxious.

"I was advised to walk to your kingdom. To take the long road. I'm glad I did as it was most revealing. It seems that city after city and village after village had been struck by violence and bigotry. Nowhere else had been through a war, not like our Kingdoms, but there _had_ been huge spats of mass murders, organised by the people themselves. Neighbours had turned against one another, and I saw on more than one occasion new graveyards being built as there was not enough space for the large amount of murdered victims.

"I stayed in taverns and met the locals. Everywhere I asked they told the same story. That paranoia had struck their humble homes. That anyone who vaguely resembled magic in anyway was suddenly seen as an enemy. Old women were burned as witches. Any family that held the old traditions of keeping sugar and milk out for the elves were drowned for fraternising with the enemy. Even children were killed, for playing in the woods or for singing fairy songs; they were thrown into fireplaces or buried alive under homes."

Near's face, cold and blank as a mannequin, suddenly broke and allowed itself a snarl, "it was reprehensible, all the people who survived felt guilty afterwards, after they had come to their senses. But it was always too late. And the fear always started in the same manner, through gossip and fear mongering. Something would set it off, usually the death of a maiden, and then for several months anarchy reigned.

"The road that I followed led to your kingdom, it was on that road that there was destruction and chaos and death. Ever more suspicious, is it not? You want to know something even more interesting? When I checked the dates, the people closer to this Kingdom were most recently affected, whereas the people further down the road, the ones closest to your old Kingdom, they had been affected long before. It's almost as if something evil crawled out of your land and made its way, slowly and insidiously towards this good kingdom."

Misa said nothing. Light, feeling chilled, glanced at his father. Soichiro was a pale as the moonlight. Light looked away, unable to stomach watching his father feeling fear. He thought about L hiding in the shadows, and all he wanted was to get that strange skinny being back in his bed so that they could just lie together again. Light felt that it was unnatural for him to like someone such as L to such a degree, but he didn't care.

"As I walked down the long dirt path to your beleaguered kingdom," continued Near, his voice bored and didactic once more, "I began to see signs warning people to stay away. There was even, as I came to the edge of the kingdom, a group of skeletons, a family I believe, judging by their height differences, hanging ominously. All were warnings to turn back."

"I told you," she said angrily, her arms folded, "there was plague."

"A plague doesn't hang a family from the tree tops," he said tartly, sitting on the ledge that L had occupied moments before and looking, against the blue sky and white snow, like an apparition. "I saw smoke, and followed it, finding that it was coming from a chimney belonging to a small house. I knocked and went inside. The people there were thing and hungry farmers. They told me that before the plague, misfortune had struck the kingdom. Village after village began to fail as crops did not grow due to bad, wet weather. The animals died. They all began to starve. Even the fish from the sea began to rot, causing a great stench. Traders began to avoid the ports and went elsewhere, taking with them the money and gold and spices and other exotic pleasures your kingdom was accustomed to having.

"I asked the family, that when these great troubles began , was a Princess present in their country? And they said that their fair king had indeed a daughter, and that the daughter was a witch."

"That's not true!" Misa screamed, leaping out of her chair, "it is not true! I am not a witch! I hate witches! That fiend, that evil elf, it's tricking you all, it's blaming me for its evil!"

There was a knock on the door. Aiber, feeling tense, opened it to reveal a flustered guard. The men conversed quietly for a moment until Aiber called to Light, "Sir, the lady Takada wishes to speak. She says it is important."

"Bring her up," said Light, "it's clear that she has been treacherous to some degree as she actively instigated this whole mess. Bring her up, and let's see what she has to say. That is, if the dear Aesir here is prepared to halt his story once more."

Near nodded his consent and Takada was bought up out of the cells.


	20. Misa Speaks

Prison had not suited Takada. The woman's appearance momentarily shocked Light. He had not seen her since her incarceration, but during that brief time she had suddenly become small and frail. Without her luxurious robes of colours, she became a fragile shell of a creature. The moonlight shone on her face, making her once toned skin now appear white and ghostly. Her hair was thin and matted. Her face, without the aid of makeup was pale and bland.

Despite all this, she did manage to keep her head high, though this act of courage was diminished hen she glanced at Misa, and audibly gulped.

"You have something to tell the Prince," stated Aiber. "What is it?"

"I wish to confess," she answered, her voice smooth and cool, despite her frightened Deer eyes and thin frame. "I want to admit my own wrongdoing, in the hopes of serving justice and perhaps," she glanced at Light and Soichiro, "perhaps gaining a modicum of sympathy from my Lords."

"Sit," instructed Light, reluctantly adding, "take a sip of mead to strengthen yourself. We need to know everything."

Takada bowed and obeyed, feeling grateful. Her time in prison had given her opportunity to reflect and it had only been during that time when she truly saw how out of control everything had become. Sipping her bitter mead she nodded to herself. She would do this, if only as a last attempt to save her life. If the Royal family heard about the plan through other means, she would most definitely be executed.

"Princess Misa and I had an agreement," she said. "It is hard being a woman in this world, harder than being a poor man," she looked up at Matsuda, "you have it so much easier than us. Even a useless farmhand can go on to work for a member of royalty, whereas even a woman of breeding, intelligence and wealth has to scheme and trick and manipulate in order to get what would be handed to us freely if only we were male.

"Prince Light and I were once lovers." (Soichiro gaped,) " but Light abandoned me." She let out a little bitter chuckle, "he even resented me. He thought less of me. No doubt because our relationship was sexual. I bet you thought I was little more than a whore didn't you?" She looked him square in the eyes, "but if I'm a whore then what are you? Anyway, it hurt. I did, believe or not, love Light. I loved him despite everything, despite all his flaws. And trust e he has them! I knew that he would never be truly faithful to me. He's smug and selfish and spoiled. But I loved him despite all this. It was genuine. I never tried to reign him in or trap him in a relationship. The few months we were together were riveting. Light can keep me enthralled and excited. He challenged me intellectually. I had hoped that if I was patient enough that he would see the good in me. That whilst I am not the most beautiful woman in the world, that I am patient and that I put his interests before my own. But that did not come to pass.

"One day, we were together in one of the Royal courtyards. We were playing around like a couple of children," she let out a genuine smile, sadness colouring her tone. Light gulped and looked away into the shadows. He could not see L. He worried about what l would think of him after the character assassination Takada was pulling. "It was late in the afternoon. The sky was a haze of pinks and reds. It was spring time and everything was fesh and new and wonderful. Perhaps that's why we were foolish enough to be kissing and cavorting in the daylight. His...his sister, Princess Sayu, came in with her dolls." She rolled her eyes.

Light remembered that afternoon. It had been foolish of them to be out together in daytime, he did not want them being seen together, but that day he had been bored and horny. Takada had said that she was not the most beautiful woman in the world, and while that was objectively true, Light had found her physically attractive. The fact that she had a brain was a bonus. Having a normal sexual appetite was difficult for him as, being in is station, there were limited options for him to release his frustrations. Takada had been open and willing to him despite the fact that Light had no plans to actually marry Takada someday.

'_Perhaps all this time,' _he realised, _'I had wanted someone like L. I needed someone different from myself, someone who had no fear to confront me, who could go up against my very core values and tip them upside down.' _He looked at the sunken and dejected frame of his former lover, _'I should not have used her so. It was bad form. I knew she wanted me for more than sex, but had thought it was my money and power...perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps she did love me, and I abused that.'_

"Princess Sayu took one look at us before leaving," continued Takada, "and after that, Light no longer wanted anything to do with me. I became, angry and bitter. I knew that Sayu must have said something, that she had turned him against me."

"That's not true!" interrupted Light, "Sayu never said a word. She just gave us that empty look before leaving. She never said a bad thing against you." He rubbed his forehead, "it was my own decision Kiyomi. I felt embarrassed. I had no intention of marrying you, or even officially courting you. I did not know how you felt for me."

"How could you not know?" he voice was surprisingly soft and her eyes began to fill with tears. "How could you not tell?"

"Because you lie and manipulate!" gasped the Prince. "Since I first met you that's all I've seen you do! I know you want power, and I assumed you wanted to marry me for my status and for the chance to be Queen. I never believed real emotions were involved."

She looked at him and he looked at her. Silent words fell between them, and in that moment both saw that each other had spoken honestly.

Takada paled further, "if you are telling the truth," she said low and slowly, "then what I did truly was evil...and I am sorry..." she suddenly leapt up and ran to Soichiro, "please forgive me!" she flung herself at his feet, "please, I didn't know all this would happen! I never knew the truth. Light used me and I was hurt! I-"

Soichiro stood, cold fury pumping through his veins as shards of ice. "What have you done to me daughter?"

She gulped and sat on the floor, her head bowed as she wiped away a tear. Her humiliation was now complete. '_I won't be allowed to live,' _she thought, and a spike of hate and spite shot through her, _'I'm not dying alone.'_


	21. Takada Speaks

"On the night of the Princess coming for the marriage ball I was tasked with making sure everything ran smoothly. I watched the guests arriving and met them all. I vetted the princess that wanted to marry the one man I had ever loved. I purposely chose silly little women with small minds and large breasts. After all, that is the opposite of me and doubtless what the brothers wanted and what I presumed their little sister would approve of. There was a lot of bitterness in me during that time. Don't misunderstand; I had long gotten over Light. I still found him attractive, but my resentment had killed any deep emotions I had for him. I thought I had been improving, that my heart was healing but...but that night, seeing him with all those women, it bought back the anger and feelings of betrayal." She shrugged tiredly, "and those feelings poured onto Sayu, who I'd always blamed.

"Once able, I took leave into the back garden. I was tired and vexed. I was perhaps even a little intoxicated. During the party I had watched Light laughing with silly, stupid women. I knew that the next Queen would be some silly little maiden with no drive, no ideas and no thoughts in her pretty little head. I also saw my own future, one as an old maid, forever being the brains of the throne but never having a legitimate share in it. There is no one in the same class as me; Royals such as dukes and earls see me as too lowly, but then men such as land owners or knights would see me as a threat. I am not appreciated for my strong grip of numeracy or because I know all the constellations. I saw my future and it was dark and empty and lonely and I was angry. So I drunk many glasses of sweet wine, more than I can remember, before stumbling outside in an attempt to sober up enough to continue the rest of the night.

" That's when I heard a large bird flying over head. I looked up at the sky but saw nothing. It was strange, I heard the flapping of great wings and felt the rush of wind that they caused, but such a creature was not seen by me.

"After they had stopped, I heard a high pitched whispering. I hid in the bushes and began to sneak forwards. All my instincts were telling me that something evil and unnatural was afoot, and those instincts were correct. I saw, half hidden in shadow, Princess Misa whispering to nothing. After a little while she leaned back and hissed, 'now go!'

"There was a rustling and the sound of great beating wings returned. The grass before Misa blew about, as if a large, invisible bird was lifting off from it."

"This is all lies!" shrieked Misa, making everyone within the vicinity flinch. "I am being demonised and blamed for things I never did! I am innocent!"

Light whirled round to face her, "silence! If you disobey me and shout out once more, I shall have my man," he nodded at Matsuda, "slit your throat and you shall never have a chance to have your say, is this understood?"

Misa nodded, her eyes wide. Matsuda drew out his dagger and stood close to Misa. He would do whatever the Prince asked of him, he had already set fire to an innocent boy and murdered more innocents in an unjust war; murdering an unarmed girl would be just another one of his crimes against humanity. In his peripheral vision Matsuda noticed Aiber glance at him anxiously, but he ignored him.

"I stood out into the light," continued Takada calmly, "I announced myself and asked her who she had been speaking to. I don't know why I chose to be so brazen. I suppose it's in my personality. I always have to stand up and be brave. That, or it was because I was drunk." She paused before slowly saying, "perhaps, if I am very honest, I even respected her a little. It was clear that she was some sort of witch, but I think that in the state of mind I was in, I wanted some of that power. I wanted to be able to control a great flying demon. I don't know.

"In any case, she turned to me, blonde hair long and beautiful and with these large blue eyes. She turned to me and watched me for a while. I felt my bravado drain away piece by piece until she said, 'you are Takada, are you not, loyal advisor to the king?'

"I nodded, I felt oddly proud that she remembered me and could even say my name. If she was a man she would have forgotten. She came to me, slinking across the grass. Everything about her made me think of a predatory cat. It was strange, as before she had appeared so graceless and stupid.

"She touched my face softly and told me that she knew of my woes. She said that, if I let her, she would help me. I asked her why she would bother helping me. It was not as if we were friends. 'It's so that you will forever keep this a secret,' she said, 'I want to marry a Prince. Any will do. You can have the one you desire, I shall have the other. We will be in each other's confidence.'

"Goddess help me I agreed."

"We sat down on a bench. Around us fireflies buzzed about, like little stars down from the skies. It was beautiful. I felt so at peace. I felt like I was doing the right thing despite what terrible words I was saying!"

"What did you say?" breathed Light tersely.

"I told her that I loved you, but that your sister had turned you against me. Misa replied, 'I have a creature that can get rid of this girl. Then we can be free to pursue them as we choose.'

"I want Light,' I told her, 'I want the oldest son. He is the one I love.'

"'It makes no difference to me,' she had said, 'I just need a marriage.'

"So we agreed. She would disappear Sayu for me, and in return I would keep her secret. Likewise she would marry Mikami, and I would marry Light. I felt jubilant. I had real power within my reach, and a powerful ally."

"But why did you want to marry me?" asked Light. "You have insisted that you had gone past loving me,. That you resented me too much."

Takada bit her tongue and glanced away. Instead L, who turned up directly behind Light, answered for her. "It was vengeance," he purred, making the hairs on the back of Light's neck stand up. The Prince stifled a shudder and felt his body warming up. L slid out from behind Light before wrapping a pale arm possessively around his waist. L was still bathed in half shadow, whereas Light stood fully in the moonlight. Light watched L and decided that the darkness suite him. _'I should get him to wear black clothes,' _he decided_, 'if I convince him to ever wear clothes at all.'_

"If she loved you at all," continued L, apparently not noticing how Light squirmed in his grip, or how his breathing had become slightly heavier, "she would not have made such a deal. She mentioned earlier that she loved you unselfishly. That is a deeper love, a greater love that few experience. And she did genuinely feel it for you. But then it became marred by her feelings of inadequacy and anger at her rebuffing from you." L looked at Light, their faces so close that their noses almost touched. It was obvious to all in the room that they were lovers, or nearly soon would be. Misa and Soichiro simultaneously scowled as Takada looked away.

"The King's Advisor only wanted to win." L whispered, his voice still carrying across the room, "she wanted to have it all, you, the kingdom and the power. She felt her life was empty and when handed a chance to have it all, she took it, she took it without thinking." He finally broke his gaze at Light and instead fixed a stare on Misa, "that's what witches do, they're greedy things who offer more than they can give."

"I'm not a witch," muttered Misa, but her words were no longer convincing.

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**A.N. -** Sorry (again) for the long wait. I probably have no readers left! I know I suck, and I am really sorry. I was quite ashamed of myself when I saw how long it had been since I had up dated a number of my stories.

It's been hard to make this chapter work. Basically I hate doing stories where people are just relating a past experience. I think it's boring to read. But I can't think of another way of doing it, short of a flashback, but I can't do flashbacks because I need characters in current time to interrupt, either with their thoughts or feelings or with questions. So I hope it isn't too bad to read.

I must admit that I do like the character of Takada more than Misa. I know, strange right? I mean, I think I actually am the only person in the entire fandom who doesn't think she was more evil than Misa. I'm also pretty sure I'm one of the only people on who writes stories where she is the title character.

But seriously, I think Takada gets more hate than she deserves. She isn't as cute as Misa but so what? Misa is a total bitch at times and really manipulates Light. I can't see how she is better or nicer or more loving than Takada. If anything I actually thought Takada was a better match for Light. She looked like him (come on she was like his female counter part!), I've seen some fans describe her as fat but I honestly think fat girls don't exist in anime or manga.

The only real crime of Takada was that she was unbearably smug and not as nearly as clever as she thought she was. But I felt bad when she died because her death sucked big time.

Don't get me wrong, I don't _like_ Takada (mainly because she was the direct cause of death for Mello, and he was the best thing is part two,) but I think that compared to all the other wicked characters, she gets really demonised. I dunno. But yeah, so my prejudice may come out in this chapter a little bit.


	22. Traitor

**A.N. IMPORTANT- I added a bit more at the end of the last chapter. So please go back and read the last little bit. Cheers. :) FYI flashbacks are in italics.**

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"So when did it all go wrong?" asked L, "when did you realise you had been betrayed?"

Takada stared at him, "How did you know-?"

"Misa has actively pursued Light, which was against your agreement." L hopped onto a chair, and began to chew on his thumb whilst still talking to her, "and there was no mention of war. I know that warfare hadn't been something you planned on, not at first."

"Not at all!" she insisted. "She told me to frame the girl! She said that she was a traitor! I didn't know that it would lead to so much death!"

"Slow down," Light sat in front of her, "what do you mean? Start from the beginning."

"Alright," Takada took in a deep breath, "after Sayu vanished and you all began to search for her, I knew that we needed to give it an ending. You were rampaging around the castle like a fool, talking about how you wanted to leave and find her. You found out that I had organised a guard to find her, and then you worked out that I was really trying to slow things down. After you confronted me, I realised that you were too close to the truth. Our plan wasn't working. Misa was getting away with it, cosying up to your brother who was clearly falling for her." She rolled her eyes, "I began to get worried. She was in the clear but I was not. If you worked out that I was not helping matters then it was only a matter of time before others would also. Besides, the plan was for you and I to start again, but instead you were becoming more interested and invested in your sister than you had been before her disappearance. I was distraught. I went to Misa and told her we needed a realistic explanation to her disappearance. Misa went to converse with her magical being, and came to me later that day with news that Sayu's own nanny was in fact a northern spy.

"It was too good to be true. Not only was I clearing my own name but I also caught a real spy! We first of all needed to lay the seeds of distrust. We knew that people would not accept it if I suddenly discovered that Halle was a northerner and a spy. So, we made up a story of disgruntled northerners."

Light recalled one morning, back when he and his father first began to not see eye to eye. Misa had rushed in with Mikami, desperate to tell them 'vital information.'

_-Misa walked up to the group and began, "as you know, all the other foreign princesses are gone, their hopes for becoming one of your brides now extinguished." She looked up at Mikami and batted her eyelashes, causing his smirk to widen to a grin. Again Light managed not to roll his eyes just before she looked back at them all. "Some went honourably and quietly, but some did not. I know that one of the princesses was very angry and felt that she had been scorned by...erm..."_

_She blushed and looked at the ground._

_"It is alright," encouraged the King._

_"Yes," cooed Takada, putting her hand on the smaller woman's shoulder, "tell us, it is alright."_

_"Well," she continued, "I don't know what kingdom the girl came from, but I remember she had light blonde hair that had hints of ginger in it, and cold blue eyes, and she was very pale."_

_"Sounds like a northerner, my liege," said Takada, looking at the king.-_

"My goddess," muttered Light, "it was after that nonsense you started that you used to justify arresting everyone with fair hair and skin."

Takada nodded, "yes, but not because I actually hate anyone who looks like that. I just needed a scape goat. I never knew that people would actually turn against a certain group of people! I just wanted a good reason to arrest Halle!"

"Did you ever think about the fact that you were a murderer," the quiet voice of Near drifted across the table. Everyone looked at him. His cold dark eyes were fixed on Takada. "You executed an innocent woman."

"She was a traitor, I considered it my duty!"

"She was my friend," Near continued, "and she held no ill will to your people and she never hurt any of you southerners in all the years she lived here. It's true that she was a spy," he glanced at the king, "but we only are a small group of fractured tribes. Should your country ever threaten us we would be weakened. All we had was information, which we could use to make sure we would never be caught unawares by an attack. It wasn't an offense by us, but a defense."

"How would I have known that?" cried Takada, as Soichiro bowed his head slightly. "How could I have known? I saw she was spying and I assumed she was dangerous! I can't be held responsible that for that one thing a massive war eventually broke out."

"You knew she wasn't dangerous, that's why you lied about the letter. You pretended that she had written this," he held up a piece of yellowing parchment, "but she had not!"

"How do you know?" she sneered, "Halle did write that! If your magic says otherwise then I don't believe it."

"Magic doesn't expose it as a forgery," said Light, "your ignorance does. Please, Alfar Near, read the note."

"**'**_My Dear Alfar," began Near "the Princess has finally been disposed off. Our God, The Fairy King Freyr, will be most grateful at the sacrifice of the Princess.__The dark eyed fools will never know what has transpired, especially their foolish King and blind Princes.__I shall see you soon, My Alfar.__Praise to Freyr!'_ He looked up at the people in the room, "in the north, we do not worship a fairy king called Freyr. Like you, we worship a goddess. I believe that light tried to tell you this himself, but you did not listen."

"This letter also sealed the fate of Matt," continued Light, "Takada believed that the words Alfar and Aesir both meant elf or fairy. They did not, they are only the titles of Royalty. Matt, the boy who was burned alive, he was the one who told me this. All we had to do was listen, but we didn't. Ignorance killed two people, and from that many more. Most of the people who died were not northerners, but our own countrymen, people who were just born fair.

"You are not solely to blame Takada ,"she looked at him gratefully. "But you take a large proportion of the fault. You lit a spark on a pile of gunpowder, and then claim ignorance when the whole thing blew up. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I thought the king had better judgement," Said the ex-advisor tartly, noting that blame was shifting from her onto the king, "I didn't think he would kill the ambassador of the northerners."

"But you and Misa had been stirring up prejudice and fear for months. You executed Halle without even being ordered to. That opened the floodgates. My father trusted you, and so he followed your bloodthirsty actions. You are the traitor Takada. You and Misa."

"NO!" shrieked the Princess, "I am no traitor! Misa is good! All this is lies, please Light-!"

"Silence!" Light held up his hand and instantly Mido silenced Misa by covering up her mouth.

"You bite me," Mido hissed viciously in her ear, "and I'll punch you in the stomach. You'll lose any ability to bear children in the future, believe me on that!"

She stood still, obeying him completely.

"Was this the betrayal?" asked Light, ignoring the violence that had been threatened.

"No," answered Takada, feeling shaky and unnerved, "the betrayal came later. You were locked up in the dungeons the day that the northern ambassador died. The King thought you were under a spell. I knew that you were close to breaking."

Light remembered that dark time. He and Matt had spoken, and then Matt had been taken away to die. He remembered sitting in the damp cold, well aware that more deaths would happen. It had been then that he realised he would need to kill his own father.

_-Mido and Matsuda, providing they didn't get themselves killed, would be his eyes and ears on the war front, Aiber and Rester would be his emissaries to the fairies and elves (the real ones) and he himself would have to make sure that all evil in the top ranks was killed off, even if that meant bowing and scraping for a short while to two women whom he despised. _

_Misa was a good ally because she was blonde and foreign, but well-liked by his people. When his time came to take over the kingship, she would be a good advertisement against the 'anti-elf' feelings his people now had. _

_Likewise, he would have to marry Takada. She was politically savvy and very powerful. By marrying his status and rightful king would be set. Mikami could marry Misa if he wanted, Light would give her up to him whether she liked it or not, as soon as her purpose was served._

_That way everyone would be happy._

_Mikami would have his silly bint of a wife, Takada would have him, the people would have a sensible king who will not turn on them for something as stupid as hair colour and the reputation of the elves and fairies would be cleared.-_

"I was in the dungeons," he said slowly, being careful to what he would admit to, "and I knew that I would have to go along with whatever father wanted. I was going to marry you Takada, and accept Misa as a sister in law."

"I knew that you would come around to thinking like us," cooed Takada, "that you would understand your father and I."

(_"That shows how little you know me," _thought Light, but he remained silent.)

"But none of that came to pass," she said "because that very evening Misa decided that she no longer wanted Miakmi. She decided suddenly that she wanted you, and so she broke his heart."

Light glanced at Misa. She was watching with careful blue eyes. "I had told Misa some of my intentions. I told her that I did not really believe the fairies were evil," he looked back at Takada, "she knew that it would be better to side with me over my brother."

"And why is that Light?" asked the carefully measured voice of his father.

"Because," Light looked at Soichiro levelly, "I was planning a coup against the King. However, the Northerners attacked before I could get all my men together. However, it does not matter. Most of the men loyal to me survived."

"You were going to betray me?" Soichiro's voice was covered in hurt.

"You betrayed our people first," answered Light, hardening his heart, "you sent boys out on a foolish war, you got my brother killed, you caused the deaths of so many people. You were fooled by Takada, that is true, and tricked by Misa who is some sort of witch I am sure, though we will hear her later. But you are the King and you should have known better. I organised men to work for me and only me. I want you to step down as king. If you do not do so voluntarily, I will make you. That is true justice."

Soichiro stood, "I will not be threatened!" he cried out. Light glanced at Matsuda for a moment. Matsuda sunk into the shadows. "I will not be treated like this by my own son!" insisted Soichiro, "I love you Light, I loved you and I loved your brother. But how much are you going to punish me for my errors? Was losing your respect and the lives of two of my children not enough? How is this true justice?" Suddenly he let out a cry.

A blade protruded out of the front of his chest. His mouth was open in an O of shock, before he fell forward. Behind him stood Matsuda, his arm holding the sword that had stabbed the king in the back.

"Good work Matsuda," said Light calmly, ignoring the pounding in his chest. "I shall see that you and the others become Knights for this. In the meantime, leave his body there. We shall dispose of it honourably as soon as we finish up here."

As Matsuda respectively covered the body of the king with a long robe that had draped over the throne (ignoring how his fingers shook as he did so) Light turned back to Takada. Her face was a ghastly pale. She had no idea that Light could do such a thing to his own father.

"Misa is a clever girl," he said, "smarter than you in some ways. She realised that I was going to betray my father, my brother and even you. She chose the winning side. So, you felt she had betrayed you. Is this when the pairing between you both broke down?"

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. Takada, for all her faults, had genuinely believed in Light's goodness and had loved Soichiro as a father.

"Did Misa tell you anything of the being that took Sayu?"

"N-n-no," she stammered, "she froze me out after that, and destruction and darkness covered the land. P-please believe me, I'm s-sorry, I really am. I really am."

"Fine." Light stood, "My dear Aesir has been patient enough. He will finish his tale, and then Misa will offer he excuses. We are near the end."

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**A.N. Phew! We're getting there folks! So what do you all think, did any of you predict this? :)**


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